


Darkness

by Maicee



Series: Consciousness [3]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Multi, Next-Gen, aLLLL THE NEXT GEN
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-27
Updated: 2015-09-28
Packaged: 2018-04-17 10:46:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 57,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4663728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maicee/pseuds/Maicee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nobody likes being in the dark. Many would say that it's a blessing, that ignorance is bliss, but in this case there is too much to ignore. It's becoming a burden, and you know what they say: the bigger the surprise, the greater the shock.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oops, my fingers slipped.

Souda Hana loved capturing nature on film. It was her mother that taught her the skills she had today at only seventeen years old, but while her mother preferred to take pictures of smiling faces she preferred to take pictures of nature. Flowers of every colour and shape, the wet sand as the tide washed it away, the autumn leaves flowing in the wind – all of these things were beautiful to her.

“Hana-chan, Hana-chan! What are you doing?”

Taking one last snap of the beach, she turned towards Hinata Seiya. She was only a young girl, no more than nine years old, but she knew every nook and cranny of Jabberwock Island. It wasn’t strange for her to appear out of the blue.

“I was taking pictures. Wanna see?” Hana said, crouching down to the younger girl’s level.

Seiya nodded and clapped her hands. “Yes, yes, yes!”

The two sat on the sand, the soft breeze ruffling their hair. “Do you want to see the pretty flowers, Seiya-chan?”

Another nod. Hana smiled and moved so they were right next to each other, Seiya leaning on her leg. She flicked through the photos, digitally taken since any polaroids would fly away on a day like this. “Here are those pink ones you like. I’m not sure what they’re called.”

“Titania-chan said they were called cosmos,” Seiya piped up.

Hana frowned. “Aren’t those a drink?”

Seiya shrugged. “I dunno, but that’s what they’re called.”

Hana continued to scroll through the photos, but now her mind was elsewhere. “Where is everyone else, anyway?”

“Most of them are in the park,” Seiya said, gently nudging the camera back towards Hana. “Near the tree-house.”

Hana tried not to roll her eyes, she really did. When they were all much younger, before Seiya was even with them, her father had built all of the children a tree-house near the park on the central island. It was the home to the biggest tree in all of Jabberwock, so it had been the ideal place for one, and pretty spacious too. Even so, she had grown out of playing in it when she was around eleven or twelve. She had more important things to do, like study.

Seiya stood and tugged at her sleeve. “C’mon, let’s go and play!”

As much as Hana wanted to protest, she couldn’t. Seiya had them all wrapped around her little finger and they all knew it. Only her two older brothers (adoptive, but still family) were immune to her charms.

They could hear the sounds of the others playing before they reached the end of the bridge. A handful of them were there, the younger ones in the tree-house and the others further to the side. They were a good length away from the administrative building, which was good considering how many time they’d had to repair the windows from stray bats and balls.

Hana let Seiya run off to spend time with her brothers, Hinata Ryouma and Hinata Yuzuru. All of them were adopted, but they were adopted out too young for them to remember a life prior to the island. Their fathers had heard of each family’s struggles and promised to take care of the children, raising them as their own. They all knew, of course. It wasn’t hard to tell with how they resembled neither of their fathers nor each other.

“Hi, Hana-chan!” Ryouma called out from the tree-house balcony. He was fourteen, but since his siblings were still only eleven and nine, he usually played around with them. He took his job as the older brother very seriously.

Waving back, Hana scanned the area. Kuzuryuu Minato was slashing away at his practice dummy, beads of sweat glistening in the sun. He was the oldest of all of them at twenty years old and was the role model for most of them. Since she was young, Hana had admired him. He was disciplined and firm like his mother.

Watching him from only a few feet away was Tanaka Titania, looking as beautiful as ever. She was Hana’s older sister figure, the one who had told them all bedtime stories while their parents were away and soothed their fears when necessary. Her black hair flew in the breeze, light eyes moving around and landing on Hana.

“Hana-chan!” Titania waved her over and she walked towards her, sitting beside her. “Were you out taking photos again?”

Hana nodded. “Yeah. What are you doing here?”

Titania giggled. “Uncle Nagito asked me to look after the kids while they played out here. I don’t think he completely trusts Ryouma-kun with the other two. Minato-kun offered to help me while he trained.”

“Hmm?” The two girls looked up to see Minato walking over to him, a towel around his neck. He sat down as he slid his sword back into his sheath. “I heard my name.”

“I was just telling Hana-chan why we’re here.”

Minato nodded. “Ah.”

It was true that Hana respected Minato, but she wished he would talk just a little more. Then again, he probably couldn’t get a word in with his sister around all the time. It was a wonder he was still alive living with her.

“Did any of our parents call?” Hana asked hopefully. She had been outside all morning and afternoon, so she wouldn’t have heard any of the telephones ring.

Minato wiped his chest with the towel. “My parents called in this morning. They’ll be back tomorrow night. Then Aunt Mikan called and made sure we were alright and that Aunt Ibuki is doing fine. I mean, of course she’s fine, she’s about six to seven months into the pregnancy.”

Hana raised an eyebrow. “That’s over halfway in, Minato-kun.”

“My point is,” Minato said, placing his glasses on the bridge of his nose, “that Aunt Ibuki isn’t due for a while. If she was due soon we would know about it.”

Hana let the subject go. “Okay, but was that all?”

Minato nodded and Titania wrapped an arm around her. “Don’t worry, Hana-chan! Uncle Kazu and Aunt Mahiru will check in soon. Their jobs can be demanding sometimes, you know?”

Despite their home being Jabberwock Island, most of their parents worked elsewhere. They were usually away for the week and returned Friday evening, flying out the following Monday. There were only a few who regularly stayed behind, mainly Uncle Nagito who was deemed too ill to work and the Kuzuryuus, who usually operated from the island. Their business trip this week was an exception. Now Aunt Ibuki was home because of her pregnancy, though Hana was sure if she had a choice she would be on tour with Aunt Hiyoko.

She sighed. “I know, it just sucks. I really want to show mum my pictures, but it’s better when she’s here.” She closed her eyes and leaned against Titania’s shoulder. “Just a few more days and they’ll be home.”

She felt Titania nod beside her. “It’s getting dark, though. We should get back.

“What?” Opening her eyes, Hana saw that Titania was right. The sun that had been out only a few minutes ago, she was sure. Now it was beginning to set, the orange and pink colours reflecting across the ocean. “Oh, I should start dinner!”

Jumping up, she started running towards the first island. Halfway there, she stopped and turned around, calling out, “See you guys at the dining hall!”

Though she didn’t have to, she sprinted all the way to the hotel. Although the main building, the log cabin, and the pool were the same as they had been years ago, the area near the cottages had been changed. Where there had been a long row of cottages before now stood narrow but high houses, one for each family. Once the children had been born, many of them mere months apart from each other, they had been built to house them all.

Hana ignored the structures, having been used to them for years now, and bolted for the dining hall. Hopefully no one had been inside the kitchen and messed with the food she was planning to use. For all she knew, Ibuki had come in for a snack for her and the baby. She couldn’t hold that against her, but if it was anyone else they would pay.

Before she could make it to the kitchen, however, she was disturbed by someone else in the dining hall.

“Hey, Hana-chan.”

Hana scowled at the short blonde before her. “Natsuhi-chan, feet off the dining table.”

Kuzuryuu Natsuhi was definitely a piece of work. Instead of taking after her parents, she had been drawn to Hiyoko from a young age and learned many of her mannerisms and habits. Hiyoko knew how to act classy at the very least. Natsuhi, on the other hand, needed a bit more development in that area.

Natsuhi rolled her eyes and let her feet fall to the floor with a loud thump. She didn’t look up from the magazine she was reading, and Hana noted that Hiyoko herself was on the front cover. “Is that sufficient, your highness?”

If Hana hadn’t known any better, she would have thought Natsuhi was bullying her, but that wasn’t the case. This was how Natsuhi communicated with the rest of the children (other than Yuzuru and Seiya who were too young to understand). It was how she worked, and it was charming in a strange, twisted way.

Hana smiled and bowed. “Completely, m’lady. Has anyone been in the kitchen?”

Natsuhi shrugged. “Dunno. I haven’t been here long. I had to get away from the amusement park. The twins started going on all the scary rides and dragged Claudia-chan along with them, and you know what she’s like with scary things. I was _not_ sticking around for that. She squeals like a banshee.”

She smirked and Hana gave her a small whack on the shoulder as she passed her. “Alright, alright. I’m going to start dinner and I already told your brother and Titania-chan, so they should be here soon.”

Natsuhi muttered something she couldn’t hear, but if she had to guess it was probably something about her brother. The two were often at odds with their clashing personalities.

The kitchen was fairly big, and when she had first stepped inside by herself it had seemed rather daunting. She had spent most of her childhood learning to cook alongside Titania. Teruteru had been their mentor, and though Hana knew she would never be able to create a dish as good as his, her food was still good enough to feed them all in his absence. She and Titania took turns each night to prepare the meal.

Checking the fridge, she made sure everything was there before beginning. Cooking for so many people had been daunting at first, but now she was used to it. She knew just how much rice to fry and how many pieces of meat she needed. Her mother often joked that she was becoming the housewife of the group.

It was kind of true in a way. She was always fretting over the younger ones, making sure they were healthy. Hell, she would even take Minato down a peg if he was overworking himself. They listened to her. It was a nice feeling.

Half an hour into her cooking, someone knocked on the kitchen doorframe. “Need a little help?”

Hana looked up. Nidai Eiichi was younger than her, only fifteen years old, but he was always willing to help. He was the calmer one of the twins and tended to care about others far too much for his own good. He needed to take care of himself more: his heart condition made it so he had to rest constantly, never being allowed to participate in any strenuous activities. It was genetic, and although his twin hadn’t been diagnosed, Hana was sure both of them felt the pain. It was a twin thing.

“Don’t worry, Eiichi-kun,” she said. “It’s a quick one tonight. Can you tell everyone it’s almost ready? Oh, and get someone to set out the cutlery.”

Eiichi grinned. “Yes, mother.”

Hana flicked some water in his face. “Shush, you. Now go! Scat! Shoo!”

Eiichi’s laughter could be heard all the way in the dining hall, but Hana wasn’t worried. He would do what she asked. Eventually.

Ten minutes later, everything was well and truly finished. She turned the stoves off and poured all of the soup into the little bowls she had prepared before wheeling it all out on one of the carts. They used them on most nights since they were feeding far too many mouths during the week. During the weekend it was just chaos.

The dining hall was livelier now that everyone had arrived. Instead of little tables in various spots in the room, most of them were now next to each other side by side to create one large table. It looked a bit much now since they were missing most of the adults, but it would be packed in a few days.

“…And then Claudia-chan screamed so loud!” Nidai Ayuta, Eiichi’s twin brother, was saying. “Like, seriously, you’d think someone who draws their powers from the deepest depths of the underworld or whatever would be able to stand a haunted house.”

Ayuta much livelier than Eiichi, but far less considerate. The two balanced each other out, though more often than not Eiichi couldn’t stop Ayuta from doing something stupid. He was reckless and took no heed to his health, much like his mother had when she was younger.

“I was only screaming from the absolute atrocity that was the haunted house! It was nothing like the underworld. Such blatant lies, such mockery of my domain!” Claudia screamed, clutching her black pigtails.

Ever since Tanaka Claudia had found her father’s old journals, she had been obsessed with her supposed demon and angel heritage. She had been around eight or nine when it started, and now at fifteen she still hadn’t stopped. More than once Hana had thought about helping her grow out of it, but her parents weren’t concerned and she looked like she was having fun.

“Shut up, Claudia.”

As Hana sat down in her own seat, she glared at Tanaka Sorin. He was by far the most antisocial of their group, keeping to his house and sometimes even just his room. His company was spent mostly with his pet cat, Talon. He was disagreeable in every respect and Hana found it hard to believe that they were around the same age. In fact, she was insulted that he was born a few months ahead of her.

“Leave her alone, Sorin-kun. Just because she dares to show emotion,” Hana said with a glare.

Sorin ignored her and dug into his food. She scoffed. How rude.

“C’mon, Ibuki-chan, up you get.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to the doorway. Nagito was gently pushing Ibuki up the stairs, taking care so she didn’t fall backwards. She had opted to wear an old band t-shirt, one of the only things that would fit her at this point. She looked a bit uncomfortable and Hana was concerned that she might not eat all of her food.

Ibuki let out an exaggerated sigh of relief as she reached the top of the stairs. “Ibuki’s alive! Food, please! Nomnomnom!”

Hana laughed. She hoped her aunt never changed.

Ibuki sat beside Sorin, who looked like he would rather be anywhere but here, and Nagito next to Hana, who smiled at him and offered him his plate as he tucked his chair in.

“Thank you, Hana-chan.”

His smile was bright, but she wasn’t completely fooled. He was paler than usual and there were bags under his eyes. His children were too young to notice, or perhaps they did and didn’t say anything, but she knew that this meant his dementia was acting up. The teenagers all knew of his condition and were given a rundown a few years back, though they didn’t know any of the details.

It didn’t change her view of him, of course. He was still her kind and caring uncle who cared more for his children than himself.

She was about to dig in when she noticed the empty seat beside Ibuki. “Hang on, where’s Karin?”

“I’m here!” came a voice from the doorway.

Souda Karin burst in looking (and smelling) like she needed a shower, her red hair tied in a messy bun and oil all over her shirt. It didn’t take a genius to know she had spent her time underneath a bunch of cars all afternoon. She would always go from one project to the next, never satisfied with sitting still for long. Usually she hopped between mechanics and programming. In any case, she was a genius as well as Hana’s one and only younger sister.

“You’re late,” she reprimanded. “At least your food isn’t cold.”

Karin poked her tongue out and Hana resisted the urge to throw her spoon in her direction as she sat beside Ibuki. She wouldn’t want to injure the pregnant lady. “At least I’m kind of on time today.”

She had a point, as bad as it was. The previous day she had been an hour late to dinner. Hana would have grounded her had she had the authority. But alas, she didn’t. She would have to wait for her parents to get back, and in the end her father would probably side with Karin. He was always pushing himself too hard too.

Shaking her head, Hana said, “Let’s just eat, okay?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am next-gen AU trash, okay. I had so much inspiration for this that it wasn't funny.
> 
> Oh, and don't worry. Everything is all happy and smiles now but _shit's gonna go down_.
> 
> If anyone is wondering about all the ages (even though a bunch are in the chapter you may have missed it), have a list: Minato is twenty, Titania is nineteen, Sorin is eighteen, Hana is seventeen, Natsuhi and Karin are sixteen, the twins and Claudia are fifteen, Ryouma is fourteen, Yuzuru is eleven, and Seiya is nine.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can skip all of the stuff in italics if you want to. It's basically stuff we already know.

Hana had figured out years ago that Titania was an open book. Whenever she was stressed, worried, or just thinking deeply, it showed. So when the two of them were both sitting in the library (one of Titania’s favourite spots) and she seemed more distracted than usual, Hana just had to ask what was wrong.

“There’s nothing wrong,” Titania said, lips thinly pressed.

“But…?” Hana prodded.

Titania sighed. “It’s mother’s birthday soon and I want to celebrate with her, do something special. I was thinking about a party but I don’t think I can organize it by myself.”

“Well, I can help,” Hana said. “You could have asked me.”

There was a pause before Titania said, “I know, but you tend to… You tend to be a little bossy sometimes.”

Hana wanted to deny that, but she couldn’t. Not really. She had always been the mother hen of the group, fussing over everyone and telling them what to do. The health of the others, particularly the Hinatas, was important to her. Everyone was always working too hard or simply not giving enough heed to their well-being.

“I’m just concerned,” she huffed. She could feel her cheeks growing warm and sighed. Whenever she was on the defensive her face turned red. “Besides, parties have nothing to do with health. I’d just help you and stay out of your way. If you can’t ask me, can’t you ask Sorin-kun and Claudia-chan?”

Titania twirled a long strand of hair around her finger. “No, not really. Sorin isn’t fond of parties.” Hana snorted. “And Claudia would want to make it all occult themed.”

Hana fiddled with the corner of her page. “Wouldn’t Aunt Sonia like that, though? She loves scary stuff.”

“True,” Titania said, “but Seiya-chan and Yuzuru-kun might get scared.”

Hana closed the book properly this time, but not before sliding her bookmark inside. “How about a regular party then? Nothing too fancy, just all of us somewhere on the island. Maybe that lodging house? We haven’t been in there for ages.”

Titania nodded, a smile forming on her face. “Yes! That could definitely work! And there’s a kitchen in there so Uncle Teruteru can prepare the meals and there’s a storage room there – oh, that needs cleaning out, though.”

“I can do that,” Hana said. She always felt at ease when cleaning, which was why her room and most of the house was spotless. Karin’s room was another story, but she preferred not to think about that. “Have we ever been in there?”

Titania was already standing up. “I don’t believe so. It doesn’t matter, though! It’s not locked or anything. I’ll go tell everyone else about the party!”

She was practically squealing as she raced out of the library, hair flying behind her. Hana smiled and shook her head. Titania had always been a party person, and whenever she attended one she was the centre of attention. That was the life of a princess, she supposed, along with the overprotective father.

Hana scowled. What was _her_ father’s excuse, then?

It was already two in the afternoon by the time she left the library and the sun was shining down harshly. She had to cover herself with her hand and hope she wouldn’t burn or cause more freckles to appear on her cheeks and nose. That was the last thing she needed. Curse her sensitive skin.

The cabin right beside the hotel wasn’t used too much for functions considering they had the Titty Typhoon and the amusement park, but it was a nice place to hold smaller gatherings. The hallways were fine and only needed a once over, but the storage room was dusty and full of cobwebs. Even if no one went inside, it needed to be maintained.

“Who let it become like this?” she muttered as she began to file through everything. The floor was mostly bare, thank goodness, so it wasn’t like Karin or Claudia’s room. Everything was mostly stored in the back, cardboard boxes stacked up against each other. “How long has it been since these things were sorted through?”

Rolling up her sleeves, she took off the first few boxes. They held nothing interesting, only some documents from when the island was still a resort destination. It was a long time ago, before her time, but it was still interesting.

She expected all of it to be documentation for the island, which was why she was both surprised and confused as to why there was a box labelled ‘ _Future Foundation Files_ ’ at the very bottom of the pile. She knew what the Future Foundation was, of course, though not in detail. It was Uncle Hajime’s workplace and a sort of headquarters for those protecting the world. That was what it sounded like in any case.

There were a few folders inside, the first one titled simply ‘ _The Tragedy_. All of the children knew something about the apocalypse to some extent, but it wasn’t much. They knew the world had been destroyed and rebuilt and that was why they were on the island. Other than that it was a mystery.

Curiosity filled her and although she had the feeling she shouldn’t look inside, she felt she had to. She had a right to know about the history of the world, right?

The first few pages had preludes and author names, nothing too interesting. It was the meat of the story that she wanted to get to. About ten pages in it began.

_The Worst, Most Despair-Inducing Incident in the History of Mankind, also known as The Tragedy, is a series of events that caused the end of the world as we know it. It all started within the walls of Hope’s Peak Academy, a school that was intended to bring hope into the world._

Hana stopped. She had heard of Hope’s Peak, of course. Her parents and the other adults on the island (aside from Chiaki) had been students there. Her stomach dropped. She had a feeling these files were hidden on purpose, yet she continued.

_It should be noted that before the official commencement of this incident, several things must be noted: one is that although Hope’s Peak is known for taking in talented high school students, they also let average students enter via expensive school fees. This was the reserve course. The second is that although this takes place at Hope’s Peak, they were not the mastermind of this project. The third_ is _the school’s fault: they attempted to create a genius with many talents by performing surgery on a reserve course student by the name of Hinata Hajime, effectively turning him into Kamakura Izuru._

She had barely read two paragraphs and she had already found a name she recognized. Her throat began to itch, her breathing growing shallow.

_Enoshima Junko, a member of Hope’s Peak’s 78 th class, was the mastermind behind the actions. She had an obsession with despair, something we and nobody else could truly understand. At that time she was known as the Super High School Level Supermodel and as a result was very well known and had connections. She was far too intelligent for her own good._

_Once she caught wind of Kamakura, Enoshima decided to use him to her advantage. He was bored, nothing interesting him anymore since he was a genius of many talents. He agreed to go along with her plan, and that was when it began: the first game of mutual killing._

_We don’t have all of the records from the first game. We know that the students were all members of the Student Council and that there were only two survivors: Kamakura Izuru and the president Murasame Soshun. The latter was eventually murdered, and to this day we are not sure why._

_The murders were broadcast to the reserve course who were under the impression that the school was behind it all. They began to rebel. It was small things at first, but they soon became unmanageable, causing destruction in their wake. They were the ones who started spreading the message, whether it be in real life or over social networks, until their eventual mass suicide. Enoshima did not need them anymore. She had recruited enough people into her organization: Super High School Level Despair._

_As murder and outrage began to spread throughout the world, Hope’s Peak decided to take their remaining students and lock them inside the school to ensure their safety. The headmaster, Kirigiri Jin, was the only teacher to remain with them. Unfortunately, he made a grave mistake. He had never suspected Enoshima as the culprit, instead setting his sights on Ikusaba Mukuro, Enoshima’s twin sister and co-conspirator._

_This led to the second game of mutual killing._

Hana was breathing heavily now. Air seemed scarce and she was sure she would faint soon if she didn’t go outside, but she wanted to keep reading. She had already recognized one name. Who else would be in here?

“Hana-chan? Are you okay?”

She turned towards the door. Minato was there, cool as a cucumber, but if one looked closely they would be able to see the small frown on his face. That was how he showed concern.

“Y-Yeah, I mean… I’m fine,” she said, trying to convince herself more than him.

His eyes caught sight of the book in her hands. “What’s that?” he asked, crouching down to her level.

Part of her didn’t want to tell him. She didn’t want him to find out what she had, but he was the oldest. If any of them knew something it would be him. She wordlessly handed him the book and waited patiently as he read it, eyebrows furrowing further as he read.

“What… Our parents didn’t say anything about this,” he said. His fists clenched and Hana could see the rage within him. As much as he was passive and calm, if something set him off he could become just as bad as Natsuhi. “What does the other one say?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, I haven’t read it yet.”

He held out his hand. “I’ll read it. You take the last one. It’ll be faster that way.”

Letting him take the second book, she reached for the third book. She looked at the cover and gulped. ‘ _The Third Game of Mutual Killing’_. She felt sick.

Her hands shook as she turned the pages. She wasted no time in beginning to read.

_The survivors of Super High School Level Despair, all previous students of Hope’s Peak, were found and were initially scheduled to be executed to stop them from causing more harm. The six survivors of the second mutual killing instead defied the orders of the Future Foundation and took them to Jabberwock Island where they set up the Neo World Program against orders._

_The Neo World Program was a virtual reality designed to rehabilitate those who were not sound of mind. The remaining members of Super High School Level Despair fit the profile perfectly, but as the Future Foundation was on the tail of the six survivors who planned to help them, they were forced into the program before its testing stages were completed along with two overseers._

_This ultimately backfired due to the interference of Kamakura Izuru, who planted the artificial intelligence of Enoshima inside the program. This was the start of the third mutual killing._

Whatever Hana had been expecting, it certainly wasn’t what she saw next: a corpse lying on its stomach, blood pooling around it. It seemed to be underneath a table or desk of some kind, but she hardly cared when she realized who it was.

Trying not to alert Minato, who was still reading the other book diligently, she calmed herself down before reading on.

_The first victim was the Super High School Level Imposter, who was going by the alias Togami Byakuya for the duration of the simulation. After a threat had been delivered to his cottage, he had attempted to gather the students for a party in the abandoned lodge near the hotel. Although he took precautions, he was the one to die, saving Komaeda Nagito from being murdered by Hanamura Teruteru. He took the stabs himself._

_During the class trial it was revealed that Komaeda had been intending to commit murder from the very beginning, intentionally confiding in Hanamura his plans. In the end, Hanamura was executed._

Hana wanted to look away from the picture of the young Teruteru, but she couldn’t. Her eyes were fixated on the helicopter stringing him along above the volcano. She didn’t understand why someone would want to insert images into a report like this.

Her train of thought stopped as she turned the page.

She screamed.

“Hana-chan, what is it?” Minato asked, voice calm, but his eyes said otherwise.

She didn’t bother holding her breaths in this time. She just had to let it out, and she could feel herself growing fainter each time she exhaled. Minato awkwardly patted her back, not knowing what to do. He was never good at comforting others.

When she didn’t respond, he picked up the book she had dropped. His eyes scanned the words on the page, something she had failed to do, but before he could say anything, she stood up and ran.

She didn’t know where she was going. She didn’t care. She just needed to get out of there as soon as humanly possible. It was too dusty to think, the walls closing in on her. Her claustrophobia was acting up.

She dashed out of the hotel area, hardly watching where she was going. It was only when she was halfway there that she realized where her feet were taking her. She didn’t want to go there, not really, but she couldn’t stop. She was too curious and her legs weren’t listening to her brain.

The sun was beginning to set when she arrived on the second island. She passed the diner and ran straight for the beach house, the one her mother had always tended to avoid but she hadn’t known why.

Until now.

The door flew open as she burst into the beach house’s main room. Her lack of athleticism caught up with her and she fell to the floor with a cry, but she didn’t dare rest. She scanned the room. It looked the same as it always did: sparkling clean and neat, everything in its place. There wasn’t a drop of blood anywhere, nor was there a corpse near the door she had just slammed through.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Hana would have jumped had she been standing up. Sorin had appeared at the beach-side entrance. She should have known. He often visited the very end of the beach, which was the graveyard for most of the deceased pets. It was one of the only places he went to outside his own home and the dining hall.

She tried to meet his harsh glare, but she couldn’t. Her vision was blurring and it took her far too long to realize she was crying. She sat up and wiped her eyes, but all of her efforts were futile. They came like a downpour and there was no stopping them.

Hands grasped her shoulders. “Hana, what happened?”

In any other situation, she would have been shocked that Sorin could speak so gently to a fellow human being, but now was not the time. She tried to find the words to tell him what she had seen, but she couldn’t. Even if she could her words would turn into sobbing.

“Oi, Minato, what happened here?”

Hana turned around. Minato was standing in the doorway she had fallen through, face paler than usual. He was sweating, probably from running all the way here, but he wasn’t out of breath. He looked nervous, a foreign look for him.

He hesitated before answering Sorin’s question. “Hana-chan was in the cabin, the one by the hotel. She was in the storage room, looking at something, so I joined her. She’d found these weird books that had stuff to do without parents.” His usual calm tone was wavering. “If we assume that whatever is in there is true, then they’ve been keeping a lot from us.”

Her head only just wrapping around what she’d read, Hana ripped herself from Sorin’s grip and stood up. “But it doesn’t make sense! Whatever’s there is just a story, right? How the hell can that all be real?”

“I… I don’t think it’s completely impossible,” Minato said quietly.

She frowned. “What?”

He sighed. “I read until the end of that book. The ending… There are no contradictions if we take into account what we know. Which is nothing.”

“Exactly,” Sorin said, circling around so they were all facing each other. “I know nothing. What the hell is going on?”

Hana, still emotional from earlier, blurted out, “Why do you care?! You’ve never cared about anything we’ve done up until this point so why do you give a damn now?!”

Sorin’s eyes narrowed as he swallowed. “It has to do with our parents, Hana. Of course I give a fuck.”

Hana never had the chance to respond as a loud sound caught their attention. It was one they were all used to, of course. One of the helicopters was returning.

“That would be mother and father,” Minato said, looking behind him at the sky. “I should go greet them. I won’t say anything about this to them, but we should do something about this tomorrow before everyone else returns. Sorin-kun, look after Hana-chan. She’s in no state to do anything strenuous.”

She was too tired to retort. She watched Minato run back the way he came until he was out of sight before groaning and leaning against the wall. All of that crying had left her exhausted. If only they were near a place with a few nice, warm beds.

When she opened her eyes, Sorin was looking at her, expression unreadable.

“What?” she asked.

He tugged on his sleeves. “So, are you gonna actually talk about it? Or are we all just going to be left in the dark here.”

Hana let a low growl escape her. She _despised_ his attitude. “Not yet! Wait until tomorrow! Besides, you’re the last person I would want to talk to about this kind of thing, Tanaka Sorin!”

If she hadn’t been so desperate to leave the beach house, she may have noticed Sorin’s hurt expression as she ran off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND SO IT BEGINS. These poor, poor children.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsuhi says the word 'fuck' too much and I love it.

Hana avoided everyone during dinner. No one really noticed since they were all focused on Fuyuhiko and Peko, who were being badgered by Natsuhi about their business trip. They had insisted that it had been boring, which only gave Natsuhi, Claudia, and Ayuta to fantasize about things as they pleased. Needless to say, no one else was getting much talking done.

Minato was better at hiding his distress, actually being able to finish his meal and treat his parents as he normally would. Even so, he would occasionally spare her a few worried glances that she returned. No one noticed, not even Sorin, who was making a point of not looking at her.

After dinner, Nagito escorted Ibuki back to her room as he usually did, Peko and Fuyuhiko joining him. Sensing an opportunity, Hana asked Eiichi to take the Hinatas in the kitchen to clean up. He seemed to understand that something was up.

“Just promise to fill me in on whatever this is, okay?” he said before slipping into the kitchen.

Hana wanted to, oh how she wanted to, but she was concerned for his safety. If she somehow shocked him with the information, she would never forgive herself.

Once the younger children were out of earshot, she stood up and cleared her throat. “Um, guys, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Everyone stopped talking and looked at her, save for Sorin, who was too busy glaring at the wooden table in front of him. She knew she must have sounded dazed or uncomfortable since both Karin and Titania were looking at her with concerned expressions.

“What is it, you foolish mortal?” Claudia asked, not reading the atmosphere. What else was new?

Hana started to fidget as she spoke. “I was cleaning out the storage room in the cabin today and I found some strange stuff. I don’t want to talk about it now since it’s late, but um, could everyone meet me at the tree-house tomorrow? Around ten in the morning, and I know a lot of you will want to sleep in, but I really want to do it before our parents come home.”

Titania blinked. “Of course, but if it’s bothering you this much shouldn’t you talk to them when they get back?”

“I would, but… Well, it’s about them,” Hana said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She stayed silent for a little while before continuing. “Look, just… I’d really like to talk to all of you, so come to the tree-house, but don’t let the Hinatas come. They’re too young for this, especially Yuzuru-kun and Seiya-chan. Minato-kun was there when I found the stuff, so he knows what I’m talking about, but um… Yeah… I’m not feeling too well, so I’m just gonna go to bed.”

She fled from the dining hall, not looking back as she power-walked to her house. No one called out for her and she hoped it was because they understood how she was feeling. Unfortunately, she hadn’t counted on everyone else out and about that night.

“Hana-chan, are you alright?”

Hana cursed herself for letting her guard down. How many times were people going to ask her that today?

She turned to face Peko, who was looking at her with concern. The swordswoman was a tall and elegant woman who Hana had always looked up to. She was calm and collected, even when she was training, and she was also sweet towards the animals and younger children. Despite not looking it, she was truly the motherly type.

Now Hana didn’t know what to believe anymore.

She forced a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just not feeling too well. It’s been a long day. Is Aunt Ibuki resting?”

Peko smiled and Hana let the tension fall from her shoulders. The subject had successfully been changed. “Yes, she’s fine. She’s craving chicken wings and takoyaki, but other than that she’s fine. Or at least she will be. I know how pregnancy can affect people, for better or for worse. Well, goodnight, Hana-chan. Please take care of yourself, and feel better.”

“Of course!” Hana called out. She sounded far too enthusiastic and she cringed, but the other woman didn’t seem to notice. She walked to her house without another word.

Letting a sigh escape her, Hana trudged to her own house. It was a yellow building with white trims, and not for the first time she had to wonder who had picked out the colours. Every house near Hotel Mirai was a pastel colour of some kind. When she was little she had used to joke around and say it was a rainbow.

Her room was upstairs, her window facing the hotel itself. She drew her curtains as soon as she was inside, turning her lamp light on before collapsing on her bed. She still had to brush her teeth, so she couldn’t sleep yet, but she couldn’t help but give into the temptation. She closed her eyes.

“You’re not sleeping already, are you?”

Hana groaned. She mustn’t have heard Karin come in. Her younger sister was leaning against the doorframe, a grin on her face. She envied Karin. She had no idea what Hana had found out and thus still had the ability to smile.

“No, I’m not,” she said, a bit of force in her tone. She sniffed the air. “You smell like gasoline.”

Karin lifted her shirt and rubbed it against her nose. Hana made a face. “Oh, you’re right. I was experimenting with the cars earlier and I think I’ve reached a breakthrough! It was like –”

“Sorry, Karin, but I’m really tired. Could you tell me later?” Hana interrupted, rolling over to face the wall. It wasn’t a lie, but this wasn’t the first time she made up an excuse. She was happy that her sister was happy, truly she was, but there was something about her little breakthroughs that made her feel inferior.

She could hear the disappointment in Karin’s voice as she said, “Oh, right. Sorry.” Footsteps thumped down the hallway and she could have sworn she heard a mutter that sounded like, “ _Dad_ would have listened to me.”

Her heart panged and she had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying.

 

* * *

 

The following morning, she was the last one to the tree-house. Usually she would have been fairly early, but she hadn’t been able to sleep well the previous night. All of the images she had seen kept scrolling through her head like a slideshow. They were haunting her and she desperately hoped that speaking to the others would clear her mind a bit more.

“You’re late,” Ayuta said as she climbed into the wooden space, his finger pointed right at her. “Weren’t you s’posed to be here first or something?”

Hana attempted to smile, but it probably came out as a grimace. “Sorry. I had a hard time sleeping last night and I had to go and get the stuff I was telling you about.” She scanned the room. “Good, the Hinatas aren’t here.”

She sat in the circle everyone had formed, right between Titania and Claudia, and threw the books in the middle. Everyone just stared at them as if they were objects from some kind of alien planet. She realized it was probably underwhelming, but she had expected some kind of reaction from _someone_.

Natsuhi broke the silence by clicking her teeth. “Books? Seriously? We have to read? Fuck that. Can’t you give us a summary or something?”

Hana scowled. She had hoped they would take this seriously, but perhaps that had been too much to ask for. “Alright, let me read from the first one. You guys all remember what our parents said about the whole apocalypse thing, right?” There were grunts of agreement from all present. “Well, it has stuff to do with that. It doesn’t have a whole lot about our parents yet, but these few paragraphs are important.”

She reached for the first book in the pile and opened it up to the tenth page. “‘ _The Worst, Most Despair-Inducing Incident in the History of Mankind, also known as The Tragedy, is a series of events that caused the end of the world as we know it. It all started within the walls of Hope’s Peak Academy, a school that was intended to bring hope into the world._

“ _It should be noted that before the official commencement of this incident, several things must be noted: one is that although Hope’s Peak is known for taking in talented high school students, they also let average students enter via expensive school fees. This was the reserve course. The second is that although this takes place at Hope’s Peak, they were not the mastermind of this project. The third_ is _the school’s fault: they attempted to create a genius with many talents by performing surgery on a reserve course student by the name of Hinata Hajime, effectively turning him into Kamakura Izuru._ ’”

Titania’s already pale face was devoid of all colour now. “Hinata Hajime?” Her voice came out as a squeak.

Hana nodded. “Exactly. The rest of the book goes into detail about Enoshima Junko, a student at Hope’s Peak who was responsible for everything that happened. Kamakura Izuru either joined her or was taken advantage of, but considering this whole genius talent thing I’m going to guess it was the first one.”

“And Kamakura was Uncle Hajime?” Natsuhi asked. “What the actual fucking fuck?”

Minato shrugged. “We don’t know. We don’t know anything. That’s the point. Fast forward to the end of that, though, it seems that this Enoshima person recruited some of her fellow students to join her and together they became Super High School Level Despair.”

“Super High School Level?” Eiichi leaned against the wall. “That sounds familiar…”

Karin was quick on the uptake, as per usual. “Isn’t that what the students if Hope’s Peak were called? Like, dad was the Super High School Level Mechanic and mum was the Super High School Level Photographer.”

Hana nodded. “Yeah. But that’s all the relevant info out of this book. The second one doesn’t have much and it’s about people we don’t know, but the third one…”

She slowly swapped the first book for the third, her mind torn in two. On one hand, she wanted to let this out, but at the same time she wanted to shield them all from the truth, whatever that was. Swallowing, she opened the book.

“The third mutual killing game, whatever that means, is in this one. Here’s what is says: “‘ _The survivors of Super High School Level Despair, all previous students of Hope’s Peak, were found and were initially scheduled to be executed to stop them from causing more harm. The six survivors of the second mutual killing instead defied the orders of the Future Foundation and took them to Jabberwock Island where they set up the Neo World Program against orders._

_“The Neo World Program was a virtual reality designed to rehabilitate those who were not sound of mind. The remaining members of Super High School Level Despair fit the profile perfectly, but as the Future Foundation was on the tail of the six survivors who planned to help them, they were forced into the program before its testing stages were completed along with two overseers._

_“This ultimately backfired due to the interference of Kamakura Izuru, who planted the artificial intelligence of Enoshima inside the program. This was the start of the third mutual killing._ ’”

“Kamakura again?!” Natsuhi shouted. If they weren’t all squeezed inside the tree-house, she probably would have jumped up and down. “And Jabberwock Island?! Where we are?! Why do we not know these despair people, huh? Where the fuck are they, then?!”

Hana wanted to respond, but she didn’t have the heart to tell any of them. She looked at Minato for help.

He sighed. “From all of the evidence in here we think they’re our parents.”

“Evidence?!” It was Claudia’s turn to shout out. “Present this evidence, samurai man!”

Minato hesitated and Hana could understand why. Their evidence was in all of the pictures, the ones that depicted at least one of their parents’ deaths as well as all the other adults they had grown up with. At least Hana had assumed that was the case. She hadn’t dared turned back to the page with her mother on it.

“Hana-chan.” Titania’s voice broke through the silence despite being so soft. “Could I see the book, please?”

Hana wanted to protest, to tell her to remain ignorant, but the book had already been pulled from her hands. All she could do was watch with dread as Titania flipped through the pages, her motions becoming more frantic as she scanned the pages. She was beginning to hyperventilate.

“Titania, calm down,” Sorin said, but it made no difference. When she didn’t reply, he sighed and grabbed the book, flicking through the pages until his usual expression of boredom turned to one of shock.

“What the fuck?!”

The book was eventually passed from person to person until it once again landed in Hana’s lap. People were murmuring to themselves, others shouting, but the reaction was the same: they were all confused and terrified. Even so, she still wondered whether this was the right thing to do.

Karin was tugging on her ponytail. “But that doesn’t make any sense! Our parents are alive! Unless we’re not even real. Maybe we’re just products of a fucking simulation as well!”

Hana hadn’t even thought about that. She rubbed her temples in an attempt to calm herself, but it wasn’t working. Whenever someone in their group was feeling uneasy, she was as well, and with everyone so scared she was beginning to panic. They had lived such a sheltered life until this point, she realized, and now she knew why. Were their parents ever planning on telling them? The thought of not ever being told made her feel sick.

Minato was quick to come to the rescue, taking the book from Hana and flipping to the last page. “There’s something written at the end that I think everyone should hear. _‘The five survivors were able to return to the original Jabberwock completely healed. There was only a small chance that their friends would also survive, but they all woke up within the span of a year and a half approximately. Although mostly cured in the mind, some still have physical ailments resurface periodically. Other than this, however, they have been able to maintain peace on the original Jabberwock Island._ ’”

“So it all ended fine in the end? Kinda?” Natsuhi asked. “Damn, there’s definitely no love lost between them, is there? If you hadn’t found these I would have believed everything was fine and dandy ‘til the end of time.”

Claudia stretched her legs out in front of her. “That begs the question: why would the elders hide their secrets from us? If the darkness had calmed aeons ago, why not reveal their history?”

Titania sighed. “They probably didn’t want to upset us. Especially since this is a lot to take in. I just don’t understand why they didn’t tell us when we turned a certain age, like maybe fifteen or sixteen.”

“They were probably ashamed,” Sorin said, folding his arms. “Several of them committed murder and all of them other than Aunt Chiaki were members of Super High School Level Despair. It’s not something one would be willing to admit.”

“So, uh, what are we gonna do about it?” Ayuta asked.

Karin side-eyed Hana as she said, “We should probably confront them about it. If we ask them directly, they’ll probably just write us off or maybe even punish us for snooping. If we get them all in one room and just go for it, well, that’s probably our best chance. That was what you were thinking, right, Hana?”

Hana hesitated for a second before nodding. “Yeah… Yeah, that was my thought process, anyway. I just think we deserve to know the truth, and not through reading about it off some second hand source. We should get it straight from the horse’s mouth. I’d do it at dinner, but…”

“But the Hinatas will be there,” Minato finished for her. “I agree, we can’t do it then. We can’t let them see this, especially with Uncle Nagito’s… corpse.”

Eiichi didn’t seem so sure. “Yuzuru-kun and Seiya-chan I can see not understanding the situation, but Ryouma-kun is only a year younger than me, Ayuta, and Claudia-chan. He’s bound to sense the atmosphere. We wouldn’t have to worry about him telling his siblings, though. He’d want to protect them at any cost, even if that meant keeping secrets.”

Hana’s eyes widened. “Maybe… Maybe that’s what our parents were trying to do. But what’s there to protect us from? Enoshima what’s-her-face is dead and the world is restored to its original balance, right?”

“We do not know that for certain,” Claudia said. “We have never sailed or flown over the uncharted waters to the mainlands. We have never left this prison of an island we call our home.”

Now that she mentioned it, Hana realized that Claudia was right. None of them had ever left Jabberwock Island, not even to see their relatives. They always flew to them and not the other way around. She hadn’t thought any of it had been strange, especially since their island was big enough to host family events, but now she wasn’t so sure.

“So if we can’t do it at dinner, when are we gonna do it?” Natsuhi asked. “Are any of them ever gathered together other than dinner?”

“Maybe we _can_ do it at dinner.” Everyone turned to look at Karin. “We’ll just not tell the Hinata kids that it’s ready. It’s a bit shady, I know, but it’s the only thing I can think of. Don’t worry, if I let them in the factory they’ll stay there for ages until someone calls them back.”

Titania looked weary and resigned. “I don’t like it, but… I think that’s our best plan of action. It’s better that the Hinatas don’t see this. They’re too young and innocent.”

She started to cry, but she refused to show her face, covering her dainty features with her hands. Hana circled an arm around her, Eiichi doing the same from her other side. The room was quiet save for a few sniffles here and there as others began to tear up.

Whatever they had stumbled into, Hana knew it would a rollercoaster. It was just a question of whether they could stay on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so tired that I can barely type coherently. I haven't slept in like 24 hours and I'm about to go pass out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything goes to hell.

Hana heard the front door open before the voices trickled in. She quickly shoved the book she was in possession of underneath her bed, making sure she could find it later. They had decided to hide the books by dividing them between houses, the first going to Hana, the second to Minato, and the third to Titania. It would be easier to carry them into the dining hall that way.

“Hana! Karin!” Her mother’s voice floated upstairs, growing louder as she passed in front of her door. “Oh, there you are. Where’s Karin?”

Mahiru was there, alive and well. Hana knew this and yet…

“Hana?” Her mother stepped into her room, concern glossing over her features. “Are you alright?”

No, no she was _not_ alright. She had just discovered a trilogy of books documenting the end of the world as well as the end of one-third of the adults on this island. Not just that, but she and the others had no idea they existed before now. How in the world was she supposed to be alright?

“I’m fine,” she said. “I just didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. And Karin’s at the factory. How was your week?”

Mahiru sighed. “It was as good as can be expected. I didn’t get much sleep last night either. You know what my headaches are like.”

She tried to trivialize it with a laugh, but Hana couldn’t help but think of what Minato had read to them earlier that day. ‘ _Although mostly cured in the mind, some still have physical ailments resurface periodically._ ’ She wondered if her mother’s headaches were a result of that.

“I’ll tell you more about it at dinner, shall I?” Mahiru continued. “We’re all going to go up there now. Uncle Teruteru’s already in the kitchen so you don’t have to make anything today.”

Hana wanted to say that she had no intention of cooking tonight, Teruteru or not, but all she did was smile. “I’ll be right down.”

Her mother nodded and walked further down the hallway, presumably to the master bedroom. She could hear her father downstairs muttering to himself about something or another, so she knew the coast was clear. She reached for the book underneath her bed and quickly pushed it inside her photography bag. Everyone knew she took it everywhere, so the adults would think nothing of her bringing it to the dining hall.

Making sure she acted natural, she left her room and ran down the stairs. She wanted to get to the dining hall as quickly as possible. She even would have slid down the bannister if they hadn’t all been banned from doing so after Karin and Natsuhi broke their arms when they were ten.

Her father was near the door now, probably waiting for them all. He hadn’t bothered to change even though he smelled like motor oil and she was once again reminded of who Karin took after.

“Hey, Hana,” he said, giving her a one-armed hug. “Where’s Karin?”

Of course that would be the first question he asked. “She’s in the factory, or at least she was the last time I saw her. She might be at the dining hall by now.”

“Well, let’s go,” Mahiru said, appearing at the top of the stairs. “We don’t want to keep everyone waiting.”

It was only a short walk to the hotel, but for Hana it couldn’t come soon enough. Her parents lagged behind her as she tried to walk faster, but she knew if she did they would ask why she was so eager to get there, her dad cracking some kind of bad food joke. He was far too fond of his dad jokes.

Everyone was already gathered inside when they arrived. The only person missing was Hiyoko, who was currently touring in China and wouldn’t be home for another week. It was the usual sight: Akane and Nekomaru bantering with the twins, Sonia chatting about Novoselic while her children and husband listened, Mikan fussing over Ibuki despite checking in with her every day. Everything was the same, yet it felt so different.

She caught Minato and Titania’s gaze and tapped her bag. They both nodded and excused themselves to go over and stand with her on the opposite end of the table. As they approached, her gut twisted, and not for the first time that day she wondered whether she was doing the right thing.

“Hey, Hana-chan.” She turned to face Hajime, forcing herself not to imagine the long black hair and the red eyes. “Do you know where my kids are?”

Hana looked around. Sure enough, none of the Hinata children were present. Karin, who was standing by the windows, nodded. The children were in the factory. They were all in the clear.

It was now or never. “Actually, they’re in the factory. We didn’t want them to be here when we talked to you about something important.”

Her voice was loud enough to attract the attention of everyone else in the room. The children, sensing that everything was about to begin, left their chairs to stand with the rest of them. They all stood in a line, facing down the adults who looked confused. That annoyed her. Did they really not know what they were talking about?

Natsuhi turned towards the kitchen door. “You too, Uncle Teruteru!”

The sounds of the stove cut off and Teruteru walked into the main room. He wiped his hands on his apron and sat down near the edge of the table.

“What’s this about?” the imposter, or Uncle Imp after Titania had been unable to pronounce his talent as a child, asked.

With one last look at Minato and Titania, Hana unzipped her photography bag and pulled out her book, throwing it on the desk with a loud bang. Minato and Titania followed suit, their hiding spots being their jackets.

The adults all stared at the books on the table, unmoving until Hajime managed to squeak out, “Where did you find these?”

Hana crossed her arms. “In the cabin storage room, where else? I was cleaning the place out so I ended up going through the files. These were in a box at the very bottom of the stack, almost as if they were deliberately hidden. They were definitely more recent than the island papers.”

“Hana, it’s rude to read other people’s belongings,” her mother scolded, though she looked more scared than reproachful.

Hana huffed. “As if it belonged to you guys! They were in the cabin, meaning they were free for anyone else to read if they wanted to. It wasn’t like I went into your houses or ransacked your rooms. Besides, it really doesn’t matter how I found it. The problem is what’s _in_ the books. Stop trying to change the subject.”

Nagito tapped his fingers against the table, and it was clear by his posture that he was trying to control his breathing. “Before we get into that, uh, did you tell…?”

“Ryouma-kun, Yuzuru-kun, and Seiya-chan know nothing about this,” Karin said. “That’s why I made sure they were preoccupied with playing Tetris on my computer. They’ll be there for a while.”

Nagito nodded and Hajime’s shoulder slumped, but only a little. Hana could understand why they didn’t want their children to find out what was happening. They both had large roles to play in the incident whether they wanted to admit it or not. If their children found out it was unclear how they would react. Hana wasn’t that cruel.

The room became silent once more, the adults all exchanging unsure looks. All except one.

“I think you should tell them.”

All eyes turned to Chiaki. Despite being a robot, she no longer looked like a teenager, being upgraded every year by Kazuichi and Karin. Even so, she could still act childish. “I mean, they already know. You’ll only make it worse by not telling them.”

“That’s easy for you to say!” Fuyuhiko was getting angry, a sure sign that he was feeling cornered. “You weren’t one of us! You were there to help us! You –”

“– are right,” Sonia said. Gundam took her hand. Hana couldn’t see it, but she could tell by their arm movement. “We have kept something important from all of you when we shouldn’t have. A queen should never hide things from her citizens, even if the truth is worse than they thought.”

Eiichi looked unsure of himself, but he spoke anyway. “It’s not really the stuff you did that we’re angry about. It’s that you kept it from us for so long. I mean, I get why Uncle Hajime and Uncle Nagito would do that, but the rest of you… We just want to know why you didn’t tell us. We think you’re ashamed, maybe? We don’t know for sure. Only you can tell us that.”

Teruteru leaned against the table, not looking anyone in the eye. “I… I guess you could say we were ashamed. We all did some horrible things – other than Nanami-chan, of course. When Minato-kun was born and Sonia-san became pregnant with Titania-chan, we all just kind of agreed to keep it from you all. We didn’t want you to go through what we did…”

“That is an absurd expectation!” Claudia said. “If you tell a child something and age knowing and believing it, they will eventually become accustomed to it. The longer you stall the more likely we will be unprepared in the case of a demon attack!”

Mikan whimpered. “I suppose that’s true. I always say to my patients that the more they know the more they can prevent.”

“But knowing too much can make you paranoid for life,” the imposter said. “That was our thought process.”

Natsuhi scoffed. “But it was a fucking shitty one. No wonder we’ve never –” She stopped, eyes widening. “Is this why we’ve never been off the fucking island?!” She slammed her hands down on the table, looking her parents square in the eye. “We’ve never been out of this hell-hole for something-teen years, fucking twenty for Minato, all because you were ashamed of some shit that you did?!”

Fuyuhiko stood up and copied her movements so they were staring each other head-on. “First off, don’t talk to your elders that way. Second off, we were doing this to protect you. Can’t you see that?”

“Oh, so keeping the secret of Aunt Natsuhi’s death from me was fucking protecting me?! She was murdered, you ass, not missing!” she screamed back.

Mahiru paled. Fuyuhiko growled and snapped, “That was for your own good! We didn’t want you to have any resentment or guilt like the rest of us did!”

Natsuhi stood up properly, hands on her hips. “We don’t care about what you did in the past! You told me what grandma and grandpa were like and that’s why you were raised like that! And Aunt Ibuki and Aunt Hiyoko and Aunt Mikan and _especially_ Aunt Mahiru didn’t do anything wrong! We know that! We know that there were differences between all of you and it caused all of you to fuck up! People fuck up!”

Fuyuhiko could only stare as he fell back into his seat. He swallowed. “You remind me far too much of your aunt.”

“That’s all you’ve got to fucking say?! Fine!” Natsuhi skirted around the table and ran out the door, ponytail flying behind her. Hana had the feeling she was only running away to hide her tears. She had always seen them as weakness.

“Natsuhi! Wait!” Karin called, following after her. Kazuichi stood up and tried to follow but Mahiru pulled him down, whispering something to him.

Hana didn’t dare look at them. She instead focused on Minato, who she could tell was gnashing his teeth together. It was a sign that he was about release some anger and she stepped backwards as his voice echoed throughout the cafeteria.

“What the _hell_ were you thinking, dad? You know she hates being compared to Aunt Natsuhi all the time. Now she knows that her namesake died in such a horrible way and you’re throwing it back in her face!” His voice cracked, his calm composure failing him. “I’m sorry that you’re feeling attacked and ashamed, but how do you think we feel? How do you think we _all_ feel?”

He gritted his teeth and Titania was instantly next to him, rubbing his arm and speaking to him softly in an attempt to sooth him. She dragged him outside as a low whine was released from another of the children.

“So the whole reason we’ve never left this island is because of how _you_ feel?” Ayuta said. He was glaring at the ground with his fists clenched. “I could have gone out and seen the world, or at least part of it. Seen some sport games, maybe. Seen mum and dad work, but no! We’re stuck here. This place is great, sure, but there’s more to life than Jabberwock.”

Eiichi wailed beside him. He covered his mouth, trying to contain his feelings, but his tears gave him away. “I thought that we couldn’t go anywhere because of my condition. I-I thought it was my fault.”

A look of shock fell upon Akane’s face and she stood up, reaching out toward her son, but he stepped back towards the wall. Her face fell and Nekomaru put an arm around her. Hana knew Eiichi would feel guilty about it later but right now he needed the space.

Sorin was the one to cut through the mess. “The point is that we don’t care what you did. We just wish you told us.”

Any sense of reassurance from that statement was washed away when Nagito said, “This is it. This is how it starts.”

“What?” Claudia asked.

Hajime knew what was happening before anyone else, lacing his fingers through his partner’s and saying, “Nagito, no, no, that’s not what’s happening. This can be interpreted as good luck. You don’t have to worry about it. Don’t.” Those words would have sounded much better had he not looked so panicked.

Hana didn’t know what they were talking about and that unnerved her even more. “Why does this sound like more secrets?”

Neither of them answered, bowing their heads. It was the look from earlier. They were feeling ashamed or guilty. Probably both.

When no one responded, Hana began to feel the tears. She needed to get out. The walls were closing in, but she wasn’t going to leave without her say and in spite of everything, she laughed. “Oh my god. More secrets? More of them. You’re actually going to keep more stuff from us. Okay, that’s it, I’m done.” She threw her hands up. “Sure, continue to punish us. Hide us from the world. It’s going to backfire on the rest of you anyway.”

Before anyone could see her cry, she ran out of the dining hall.

 

* * *

 

If she had to say one thing she loved about Jabberwock, Hana wouldn’t have to think about it. The stars were always lively at night. Some were big and bright, others were small and dull, but they were all there, surrounding her as she laid on Chandler Beach. She wondered if the animals that were buried beside and underneath her loved the sky as much as she did. If they were human, would they have charted them like she had? She hoped so.

She rolled on her side, facing one of the tiny headstones. It was the oldest of the bunch, worn and rusted, the faded letters spelling out _Cham-P_. She had heard the stories of the Four Dark Devas, but she had never met them, all of them passing before her birth.

“Cham-P, if you could talk, what would you say right now?” she asked.

“Nothing. He’s a hamster.”

She scowled. “I said ‘ _if’_ , Sorin. I’m not stupid.”

She didn’t look behind her as he sat down, but she could sense him there. His voice sounded close when he asked, “What are you doing here?”

“You come here when you’re not feeling the best, right?” she said, though it wasn’t a question. It was common knowledge that this was his sulking space. “I don’t really get it, but I figured if it worked for you I could try it.”

“And did it?”

“Did it what?”

“Work.”

She had to think about that. She was definitely feeling calmer, no longer in a heated rage, but the sadness and betrayal still remained. “I guess so. I know it can’t help with everything, though. I don’t know if I’ll ever get over this.”

There was a soft sigh as he laid down beside her. She turned to look at him. “I think you’re all being too dramatic. Their intentions were good.”

She studied his face. She had never seen him up close before other than the time they were five and playing doctor, and even that she only vaguely remembered. His face contradicted his actions, his lips pressed into a thin line. It was a habit he shared with Titania, she realized. They both did that when they were worried or lying. He wouldn’t look at her, gazing at the stars instead. He was definitely hurting, she concluded.

“You’re lying to me,” she said. “But that’s fine.”

He looked at her and rose an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything else on the matter. “You should go back. Uncle Kazuichi and Aunt Mahiru are worried about you.”

The noise she made was a cross of a dying cat and a pig. “Sure they are. They’re probably out looking for Karin or something. None of my business. Besides, I like it out here, even if it’s cold.”

“That’s another reason you should go back, you idiot,” he argued. “If you’re cold then you’re going to get sick. That’s just being reckless.”

She glared at him for a few seconds before sighing and standing up. As much as she hated it, he did have a point. “Fine, fine, I’m going. Are you going to stay here?”

He looked conflicted for a second, an expression so brief that she almost believed she’d imagined it. Eventually he said, “Yeah, I’ll stay here. I’ll talk to the Four Dark Devas. I know they can’t speak back, but…”

“I know,” she said. “Just don’t go crazy on us.”

She could have sworn he laughed as she started to walk away. That made her feel a sense of satisfaction, considering no one had been able to make Tanaka Sorin laugh since the dark ages. As she approached her house on the first island, however, that feeling was replaced with dread. What if her parents were inside? What if they were staying up for her?

It turned out that she didn’t have to worry about that. Her parents were already in their bedroom when she climbed the stairs. She knew because she could hear her mother crying, her father trying to comfort her. Part of her felt guilty for making them feel this way, but the stubborn side of her felt it was justified. They had withheld important information about their pasts. Of course it was going to backfire sooner or later.

She tried to tell herself that as she closed her room door behind her, sliding to the floor and burying her head in her knees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The _angst_.
> 
> I felt like I had a thousand things to say and now I can't remember any of them. I need a nap.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids get an information overload.

“Alright, what the hell did you do?”

Everyone turned towards Ryouma. All of the children present at yesterday’s ‘meeting’ had gravitated towards the supermarket instead of the dining hall that morning, all of them avoiding the parents. It meant that they would miss Teruteru’s fantastic breakfast, but that was something they could all live with. Going anywhere near their parents right now would be too awkward.

Claudia fiddled with her biscuit wrapper. “Foolish mortal! An illusion has been cast over your eyes!”

Ryouma wasn’t convinced. “So it was an illusion when I came back last night, no one was in the dining hall, dinner was forgotten on the stove, and dad was crying in his and other dad’s room? I don’t think so. What’s going on?”

They all looked at each other, unsure of themselves. Titania was the one who spoke up. “That’s something you should really ask them, not hear from us.”

“Why are you here, anyway?” Sorin asked, looking anywhere but Ryouma’s face.

Ryouma looked like he wanted to say something else on the matter, but he didn’t. “They all want you in the dining hall. Right now.”

Natsuhi glared, but the effect wasn’t as strong as usual with her bloodshot eyes and dried tear tracks. “And who says we’ll go? I get that they’d send you ‘cause we don’t wanna get you involved and we don’t wanna yell at you, but it won’t change our answer.”

“They thought you’d say that. That’s why they’re offering to talk about it from their point of view. Whatever it is.”

Hana hadn’t expected that. With how they had all reacted last night she expected them to be in trouble or grounded. Maybe it was a trap, but at the same time she wanted to know the truth. She could tell by the look on the others’ faces that they were thinking the same thing. In the end, they all looked to Minato and Titania for the decision, even though they too seemed hesitant.

“We should go,” Minato said. When Natsuhi began to splutter, his voice became firmer. “If we don’t like what they’re saying we can just walk out again. It’ll be fine.”

Ryouma beamed. “Great, I’ll go tell them!”

He raced out of the supermarket and everyone looked at each other. Despite their resolve, no one wanted to take that first step forward. In the end, it was Sorin who went first, sighing as if he had better things to do. Hana followed, then Ayuta, and soon they were all filing out of the building. None of them spoke during the walk there, all of them too preoccupied with worrying. Hana knew they wouldn’t have been able to do this alone.

They couldn’t hear anything from the dining hall. It was silent, almost as if the adults were gone for the week once more. They could all tell they were in there, though. Seeing them again was inevitable considering they all lived in the same ‘street’. Hana just wished it wasn’t so soon.

The adults all looked at them as they stepped into the dining hall, but none of them said a word. Even Ryouma, who was sitting near the end of the table beside his parents, had the sense to not say anything. The only sound was the screech of the chairs across the floorboards as they all sat down, waiting expectantly.

Hajime was the first to speak. “I know you all have a lot of questions, but if you could leave them until we’re finished explaining that would be fantastic and really, _really_ helpful.” He licked his lips. “Basically, everything from entering Hope’s Peak to waking up during the simulation we don’t remember. Everything we know is hearsay. We were supposed to go into the simulation for rehabilitation but I – well, Kamakura Izuru – put Enoshima inside. Kamakura Izuru was not my fault. I know that now. Hope’s Peak took advantage of my admiration for the school and used me as their lab rat. The personality that came out of it is not, and never will be, me. I hope you understand that.”

When it was clear that he wasn’t going to say anymore, the imposter took over. “When we entered the simulation, you have to remember that none of us knew each other except for Fuyuhiko-san and Peko-san, so when the mutual killing was announced we were instantly suspicious of one another. Not to mention that we had no idea it was a simulation since our memories were taken away. I promised to take over and save everyone, but that wasn’t to be.”

“That was my fault,” Nagito said. When she saw his expression, Hana wanted to hide. She had never seen him so pained. “At the time I was very unstable. My dementia was still within me and I had an obsession with hope. I still do, really, but not as much as I did then. It was twisted, the way I thought. I thought that hope couldn’t live without despair, so I started the chain of mutual killing. I sent Imposter-san a note and he held that party. You all read about that. I told Hanamura-san and he wanted to stop me. He did nothing wrong. He wanted to stop me, protect you all, and see his mother again.”

Teruteru still looked ashamed, even with the kind words spoken about him. “I ended up getting Imposter-san instead. We investigated, had a class trial, and I was found out. Then I died. Or at least that’s what it looked like. In reality, since we were in the simulation, we were only in comas.”

“The next murder might not have happened if it wasn’t for the next motive,” Fuyuhiko said. His face was contorted in a mixture of regret and anger. “It was this video game and we were told it was based on true events. It was about the death of my sister and the girl who killed her. The characters weren’t given our names specifically, but it became obvious who they were. There was a prize for completing the game first, which I got. They were photos and one of them was of my dead sister. That was proof enough for me to see it as true. I sent it to Mahiru so she could play the game and she understood what happened.”

Karin opened her mouth, but Mahiru quickly stopped her. “Basically, the other girl that died was a friend of mine, Hiyoko, Ibuki-chan, and Mikan-chan. She was sick of Fuyuhiko-kun’s sister bullying me and decided to threaten her, but it became worse than that. She tried to hide the fact that she had killed her and met up with us and we all discovered the body, but I took pictures. It was through doing so that I found out the truth and I confronted her about it. I was conflicted, so I dumped the photos, but Fuyuhiko must have found them and put two and two together, since…”

“Since I killed her. The other girl,” Fuyuhiko finished. “That was probably the incident that got all of us to follow Enoshima. When I was on the island it was like all those feelings burst out at once. I couldn’t remember my own sister’s death and I felt like shit because of it. I wanted to take my anger out on someone, get revenge as I had always been taught to. So we met up and I confronted her. The entire time I wanted to wiggle my way out of it, but we had already come so far.”

“That’s where I come in,” Peko said. She looked composed, but the way she was tapping her coffee mug gave her away. “At the time I was only a tool. I had been raised with a mindset telling me I was an object. I was Fuyuhiko’s hitman and it was my duty to protect him at all costs. That was why I couldn’t let him kill Mahiru, so when I saw him reach for the bat I quickly struck. My one thought at that moment was to protect him, and so I tried to make sure that I was seen as the murderer during the trial. I thought that since I was a tool and not a person, I would be the incorrect answer. But in the end it didn’t work. I was ruled as a human and put to death myself. Fuyuhiko tried to stop the execution but failed, injuring himself in the process.”

Fuyuhiko tapped his eyepatch. “It was a stupid thing to do in hindsight, but I didn’t really care at the time. I was taken to the hospital and patched up.”

“At that point I wanted to rip Monokuma – the thing Enoshima was hiding behind and talkin’ through – a new one, but he was too powerful,” Akane said. She sounded far too casual. “I tried to confront him on my own but everyone came down to the beach and saw me. Nekomaru jumped in to save me, but Monokuma was obligated to save him since he hadn’t done anything wrong, so he was taken into care as well.”

Everyone looked at Mikan. It was as if the adults had rehearsed this beforehand, choosing who would speak when. She looked hesitant, but she spoke once Sonia gave her arm a small squeeze. “Um, well, the next motive was something called the despair disease. Akane-san, Ibuki-chan, and Nagito-san all became sick and the symptoms were that they became the opposite of themselves or just another kind of person. We had to quarantine the area, s-so I was in charge of taking care of them and Hajime-san and Fuyuhiko-san came to help me. Everyone else stayed in the motel. But in the end I fell to the disease a-and my symptom was that I remembered everything.” She whimpered. “Everything from my despair days. So I, I uh, I became crazy again and ended up killing Ibuki-chan! She was my target, from what I remember, and Hiyoko-san was in the wrong place at the wrong time, so…”

“It’s fine, though! Mikan-chan was goin’ crazy, ya know? She wasn’t herself!” Ibuki said with a grin on her face. “It’s not her fault.”

Gundam looked at her with a raised eyebrow (something Sorin had learned from him, Hana couldn’t help but realize) before speaking. “I’ll keep the next part brief. Nidai was returned to us as a robot, and during the next motive I used that to my advantage. We were all trapped in a funhouse with no way out, fated to starve to death until the next murder. I chose Nidai as my target not only because of his robot functions, but because I knew he would understand my sentiments. We both didn’t want everyone to starve to death. We were both prepared to die for their sake. I put on a show for Monokuma and was executed in the end.”

“It was around that time I figured out from random information around the island that we had all been Super High School Level Despair,” Nagito said. Hana was sure Hajime would lose all the circulation to his hand if he didn’t stop squeezing. “I couldn’t have that, and I also knew that there was one person that hadn’t been one of us. They had been singled out by Monokuma earlier as the ‘traitor’, but no name was given. I didn’t know they were, but I wanted them to live, and so I set a trap. I set up an elaborate plan to make it look like I had killed myself, but in reality one of the others had done it. I had faith in my luck abilities. I made it so they wouldn’t be able to find out the killer without guessing.”

“But they found out anyway,” Chiaki said, a small smile on her face. “I couldn’t tell them I was the ‘traitor’ directly, of course. That was how I was programmed. I had to make them guess and find out themselves. When they did, I was executed.”

Hajime flinched at her words, but continued regardless. “The rest of us left alive were forced to find out the truth and once we did we were given a few options, like re-joining Enoshima and have her inhabit the comatose’s bodies or keep our simulation memories. With the help of the people who had faith in us, we chose to keep our simulation memories and live on the island, trying to wake everyone up. Everyone woke up and, well here we are today. Any questions?”

The children all looked at each other. Hana was at a loss for words, which was a first for her. That was a lot of information to take in, even though they had already read about it in the book. Hearing it from their parents made it sound so much more real.

“I have one,” Karin said, voice shaking. “Um, if dad didn’t create Aunt Chiaki’s software, then who did?”

“Someone by the name of Fujisaki Chihiro,” Kazuichi said. “They were the Super High School Level Programmer, but they died during the second game of mutual killing. They were a classmate of Naegi and them. You remember ‘em, right?”

Hana didn’t know how she could forget. Hajime’s co-workers came over several times a year, usually around holidays such as New Year’s. Their children were their only non-family contact with the outside world if she was being completely obvious. If they were in the same class as this Fujisaki, then that meant…

“Wait,” she said, drawing everyone’s attention. “Naegi and the others were part of the second mutual killing? Minato-kun was the only one who read that book.”

The books were still on the table, proof of what happened last night. Minato grabbed the second one and flipped through it. “I didn’t read all of it. Since we only know the survivors and they weren’t mentioned at the beginning of the article I assumed this one was irrelevant. There’s Fujisaki’s name and – ah, there are the survivors. Right.”

Sonia nodded. “They helped us out a lot, never giving up on us even though we had caused so much harm.”

So in other words, Hana and the others wouldn’t have been alive today had Naegi and the others not helped them out. She would have to thank them when they next saw them, probably New Year’s Eve.

“Uh, I have a question,” Titania said. “If Uncle Nagito’s dementia is as bad as he said, why isn’t he worse now? I mean, that’s a condition that progressively becomes worse, doesn’t it?”

Nagito shrugged, finally releasing Hajime’s hand. “It was a combination of my extraordinary luck, Mikan-san’s medical knowledge, and Kazuichi-san’s inventions. I still have symptoms, like my repetitive behaviour and occasional insensitivity, but other than that I’ve come a long way. I’ll probably die before everyone else, a few years at the least, but I’ll still leave a long and happy life.” His face fell. “That was why I thought all of that good luck was taking a turn on me. Whenever something good happens to me, my bad luck eventually balances it out. It hadn’t happened for a while so I thought it was safe, but last night when you found out…”

“You thought your bad luck would come back to haunt you,” Sorin finished for him. He nodded.

Hana now understood what he had been so scared of the previous night, but there was one thing she didn’t understand. “Um, why is Ryouma-kun being so calm about this? I mean, we didn’t tell him any of this.”

Hajime smiled softly. “We decided to tell him before we sent for you guys. We think he’s old enough. We’ll tell Yuzuru and Seiya when they’re fourteen as well, so don’t go saying anything to them.”

“You were pretending not to know anything, you lil’ dweeb!” Natsuhi said to Ryouma, who only grinned at her. “But we won’t say anything, don’t worry. We’re not that stupid. Now that all of this crap is cleared up, when are we allowed to leave this island?”

Hana had expected them all to be confined to the island regardless of knowing the truth, so she was pleasantly surprised when Sonia piped up with, “I have an idea about that! You see, Novoselic holds a ball for my birthday every year. I never actually attend since I always spend it with my family, which is all of you, but I think it would be a hella idea to go this year! Oh, you must all see Novoselic. I mean, the adults have all seen it of course, at our wedding, but the children haven’t and you must! You will be our esteemed guests.”

Any bitterness Natsuhi had earlier left her as she squealed. “We actually get to see a country?! Wait, shit, do we have to speak, like, French or something?”

Sonia laughed. “All of the residents can speak fluent Japanese. I don’t see why French wouldn’t be an issue for you, though. Didn’t I teach all of you English and French at the very least?”

“Yes, mother, but we’re a bit rusty,” Titania said. “Especially since you made Sorin, Claudia, and I learn so many other languages. It’s a bit hard to tell which one is which. If they all speak Japanese, then that should be alright, though, shouldn’t it? Though, if I’m supposed to be queen in the future then I’ll have to brush up on the native tongue.”

With a grin, Sonia said, “Precisely! Oh, and you and Sorin are the right age of adulthood in Novoselic, so you should eat a Skong.”

Sorin scowled. “A Skong? I hope that’s not an animal, mother.”

Gundam gave him a look of regret. “I’m afraid it is. I had to eat one as well. The first and last animal I will ever eat. At least now I no longer have any other rituals to partake in.” He took a long swig of his coffee, almost as if he was trying to get rid of the taste.

“Oh!” Sonia was on a roll now. “I must find young Makangos for Titania and Minato-kun!”

Gundam spat out his coffee. “What?! No, no, absolutely not. No makangos. Not until she’s thirty.”

“Oh, Gundam. Stop being so stingy,” Sonia said. She looked like she was having fun. “You know it’s going to happen sooner or later. I am simply speeding the process along.”

Gundam and Sonia continued to banter back and forth, Titania and Minato looking completely and utterly confused while Sorin smirked. Whatever this Makango was, he looked like he knew. Hana made a note to ask him later. For now, she had to pack.

That brought up a bunch of other questions. “Um, is there anything in particular we should pack? Like, weather or clothes-wise?”

Sonia looked away from her panicked husband. “Not really! Nights can become fairly cold around this time of year, so please keep that in mind. Other than that you can wear whatever you want. Your ball gowns will be chosen when you arrive in Novoselic. Oh, there is quite a selection! I’m getting excited now! I must inform the palace at once!”

She ran out of the dining hall, a skip in her step. Hana let out a giggle, wondering how the topic had changed from something so serious to something so exciting. Maybe it had to do with the fact that their parents had actually decided to come clean. Some of the weight had been lifted, sure, but trust was easy to break and harder to build. She didn’t entirely know what to think.

Hajime cleared his throat, silencing everyone once more. “Uh, so, are we cool now?”

Minato nodded slowly. “Yes, I believe so. Please take into account that you did betray our trust and our feelings and that it will still take some time to get over that. As for what you did in the past, well, that was never our concern in the first place. We were only really upset over the hidden information. That’s all.”

“As long as we get to actually leave this damn island, I don’t care,” Ayuta said. “Sure, this place is great, but we’ve been stuck here for years. At least you guys get to go to other places for work and stuff.”

Natsuhi leaned back in her chair. “Well, we’re going to a palace. With a fucking king and queen. Our first field trip is gonna be _so_ badass.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALL ABOARD THE PLANE TO NOVOSELIC. I am so excited to write about it, to be honest.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to ACCESSORIZE.

“Fucking hell, these things have seatbelts?!”

“Naturally, ignorant one. Going without would be far too dangerous.”

“Uh, Claudia, your face looks really pale. You sure you’re okay with this?”

“Silence, aggravating one! Do not question the dark goddess.”

“…I’m gonna take that as a _yes_.”

Hana closed her eyes and leaned her head against the window, shoving her earphones in her ears. She loved the others, she really did, but she could only tolerate them so much when they were all speaking at once. The adults were in the front area while they were in the back, leaving Minato and Titania as the main authority.

Titania was too busy to address the squabbling teens, preoccupied with searching up what a Makango meant before the plane took off. Most of the time they didn’t use the internet since the island wasn’t exactly a wi-fi hotspot, but there were times when the books in the library just couldn’t tell them what they wanted. That was where the internet came in.

She was tapping her foot impatiently, Minato sitting next to her. She had dragged him into the seat beside her so they could see what the two of them had to do with a Makango, leaving Hana to sit with the one and only Sorin. The pros? She wouldn’t have to talk to him as much. The cons? She was most likely going to get cat fur over her skirt.

Even so, when Talon decided to move from his owner’s lap to hers, she didn’t protest, rubbing him behind the ears. Sorin smirked at her and she scowled as a shriek was heard from the other side of the room.

Titania closed her laptop rather forcefully, a light pink beginning to dust her face. Minato asked her what was wrong, but she didn’t answer, curling into a ball. It had been a habit of hers to do so when she was embarrassed since the age of five.

“I see she’s found out what a Makango is,” Sorin said.

“What _is_ that?” Hana asked, finally facing him properly.

Sorin leaned back. He looked much more serene than usual, she realized. “I believe the tale goes something like, _‘Two lovers may not become one until they present to each other the Makango they have raised. Only then may they wed._ ’”

Hana burst out laughing, startling poor Talon. “Oh my goodness. No wonder your dad was acting like that.”

The speakers in the Novoselic plane crackled to life and an accented voice spoke. “Good morning, passengers. We are heading to Novoselic, a trip that will take approximately ten hours! Please make sure you buckle up for take-off and landing and refer to the safety manual underneath your seats. Have a nice flight!”

“Ten hours? Next to you?” Hana made a choking noise. “Why me? There’s nothing to even take pictures of around here. Except maybe the clouds. That’s it, I’m going to sleep.”

“Goodnight,” Sorin said, amused as she tried to relax.

She must have eventually become comfortable, as when she woke up next she was facing the window, which showed her a perfect view of the countryside below. There were no landmarks she recognized, but that didn’t mean much considering she was horrible with geography. Wasting no time, she grabbed her camera and began to click, making sure to focus where necessary.

“Good morning,” Sorin drawled. “You drool when you sleep.”

She tensed at his words and quickly rubbed her mouth, sending him a glare. “Don’t watch me sleep, you creepazoid. How long has it been?”

He yawned. “Dunno. I just woke up myself. You missed lift-off and the turbulence we had early on. After that I fell asleep. Oh, and uh, I don’t recommend going to the bathroom. Claudia puked up all of her dark energy breakfast in there.”

Hana made a face and clutched her stomach. “Ugh, shut up. I was hungry, but now? No dice. What do they eat in Novoselic, anyway?”

“Dunno,” Sorin said with a shrug. “I only know what the animals eat.”

Hana was about to respond when the speakers switched on once again. “Attention all passengers! We are now preparing to land. Please make sure you are in your seats as we arrive at the castle. Please only leave the plane when the stairs descend. That is all.”

The reality only now hit her. She was finally leaving Jabberwock Island and going to a foreign country. Not just that, but she was practically family to the _royal_ family. The photo opportunities made her bounce up and down in her seat, even as the plane landed. She couldn’t contain herself.

“Would you calm down?” Sorin said, but she could tell he was trying to hide a smile.

The airport runway was fancier compared to the one on Jabberwock, though Hana was sure that was because they were near the castle. She couldn’t see the inside of the airport itself, but she could see the building connected to it. A large palace gleamed in the setting sun’s light, and she couldn’t help but snap a quick picture before grabbing the rest of her belongings.

Sonia was the first to leave the plane, Gundam on her arm. Their children followed behind. This was the set-up for each time someone reached the exit. The parents would leave, followed by their children until only the adults were left. Hana didn’t know if this was a tradition or just how it happened, but she didn’t mind too much.

As soon as her foot landed on that first step, she was blinded by flashing lights. Once she regained her vision she saw that they were all cameras. Most in her situation would either smile or hide away, but she decided to fire back, taking her camera out and taking pictures of them instead.

Her mother gently nudged her. “Don’t do that, Hana, that’s rude.”

“They started it,” she said, earning a glare. She quickly hid her camera back in her bag.

Sonia was at the front of the crowd, the embodiment of beauty and grace. Gundam seemed a little less comfortable, sticking close to his wife, but he managed to smile nonetheless. Titania was only a step behind her mother with Sorin lagging behind, but Hana’s main worry wasn’t any of them. She was focused on Claudia, who was clutching her father’s coat for dear life, eyes wide as she tried to hide from the cameras.

“Claudia… Should we go help her?” Karin asked.

Hana considered it, but then saw Gundam pull his daughter close to him as if to protect her. “I think she’ll be fine. Uncle Gundam knows what he’s doing.”

Sonia was slowly pushing through the paparazzi, waving to the cameras. She was a natural. “It’s lovely to see all of you here! I hope you all attend the ball this evening. It will be a night of all nights!”

She said the last word as she entered airport building. The paparazzi didn’t follow her, continuing to take pictures of everyone else until they too were all the way inside. Hana hadn’t realize how cold it had been outside until she was inside with the heaters on. It made carrying her luggage much easier when she didn’t have numbing fingers to worry about.

The terminal had a high ceiling and the floor was polished marble. It was a fantasy compared to their small building back on the island, a place where everything was simple. She wondered if every airport in Novoselic was like this or if it was because they were attached to the castle.

Since they already had their bags, there was no need to go through baggage claim and other various procedures. Sonia and Gundam led them to a set of stairs in the corner and Hana had a bit of difficulty hauling her bags up. She wasn’t the strongest person in the world, after all, but she managed it.

Waiting at the top of the stairs were half a dozen maids and the same amount of guards. When they saw Sonia, they all bowed and side-stepped so their positions shifted. It was a bit of a strange greeting, kind of like a dance out of a Jane Austen novel, but Hana figured it was a Novoselic custom. She knew she would be experiencing a bit of culture shock for a while.

“Good evening, Your Majesties,” the maids said in unison, sounding a little creepy. “May we show you to your rooms?”

Sonia and Gundam also bowed as the former said, “That would be fantastic! Please do. I take it you have already prepared the rooms.”

One of the maids stepped forward. She looked a bit older than the others and Hana assumed she was the head maid. “Yes, Your Majesty. I shall escort the older Highnesses to their rooms. Would all of the adults please follow me?”

The adults all followed the maid, Sonia and Gundam taking the lead as per usual. It was strange, Hana thought, as while she had known the Tanakas were the monarchs of Novoselic, she hadn’t seen them act so regal. Maybe it was how they were being addressed as such, but who knew?

Another of the maids stepped forward, curtsying and doing some sort of jig before standing straight again. “May I show the Royal Highnesses and Their Highnesses to their rooms?”

Titania stepped forward. “Please do.”

The maid grinned and beckoned for them to follow. She made small talk with Titania as they moved through the hallways, but Hana wasn’t paying attention to any of it. She was too focused on the castle’s structure, the way the windows spanned from the floor to the ceiling and the wallpaper seemed to shimmer. In the books she had read on Novoselic, the castle had been described as ‘small yet homey’. This looked far too big and fancy to be that exact same castle.

They were taken up several flights of stairs and Hana honestly thought she was going to fall over if she had to keep on carrying her bags, but just as she was thinking that, they stopped. This floor was calmer than the others, less foot traffic from the maids and guards, leaving them with a wide path to their rooms.

“Each of you will be given a room to yourselves,” the maid explained. “Nameplates have been attached to your doors. If you need anything, there is a phone in each room that connects to the staffroom as well as the other rooms. You may explore the castle as you wish.” She curtsied. “Have a nice stay!”

The children scattered as soon as she walked away, running around to find their rooms. The Tanakas seemed to be at the end of the hallway, Titania’s at the very end with Sorin and Claudia on either side. Everyone else’s were in birth order: Minato, Hana, Natsuhi, all the way down to Seiya at the opposite end.

Hana would be lying if she said she didn’t get a kick out of her nameplate reading, _‘Her Highness, Souda Hana’_. She wasn’t of any nobility, she was sure, though Sonia probably had something to do with the title. The maids had addressed them all as Highnesses, even the adults. She opened the door cautiously, not knowing what to expect, before catching a glimpse and throwing the door wide open.

The people of Novoselic had drawn inspiration from classic French design, there was no doubt about that. The colours were light, mostly beiges and pinks, and everything seemed to have a faint pattern to it. Maybe it was the (presumably) expensive material. Curtains hung around the bed, though they appeared to be there for aesthetic reasons only since they were mostly see-through. On the other side of the room, where the wall was supposed to be, was a glass door leading out to a balcony. There was a sofa closer to the door and a large vanity table beside the walk-in closet.

It was everything she had expected it to be and more.

Not wasting another second, she dumped her bags on and beside the bed, taking her camera out. She opened the door to the balcony and stepped outside, the cold air startling her. Pushing through it, she walked around a small table so she was leaning against the railing. She wasn’t disappointed.

Novoselic was a beautiful country, she decided. From her room she had a perfect view. The palace was located close to sea, probably about a half hour walk, and so she could see the coast. Below her was a beautiful garden with plants she didn’t recognize, and in the distance she could see various houses. Perhaps they belonged to the staff.

She went inside after taking a few pictures. While the view was fantastic, she didn’t want to waste all of the camera memory on it. There would be so much else to take photos of and she was going to capture all of it.

Remembering what the maid had said about being allowed to explore the castle, she slung her photography bag over her shoulder and made her way to the door. When she opened it she expected to see the vast hallway, not someone standing there.

“Oh! I’m glad I caught you!” Titania said. She was grinning from ear to ear, a sure sign she was enjoying herself. “I’m stealing you away so we can get out ball gowns! Come on!”

Hana had almost forgotten about the ball itself, too absorbed in the palace and the area around it. “Right, I forgot about that. Um, where is it? The place we’re going to for the dresses, I mean.”

Titania bounced on the balls of her feet. “We’re going to the party wing of the castle! At least that’s what mum and the maid said. It’s basically where the ballroom is and where the banquet halls are and all that. They have a bunch of dresses there, just don’t get the ball wing mixed up with the costume wing. Otherwise you might end up wearing an anime costume.”

Before Hana could ask why they had anime costumes here in the first place, Titania grabbed her arm and began to pull her towards the stairs. “Let’s go, let’s go! I told Claudia to go and gather the other girls, so they’ll be coming soon. I want to get there before all the good dresses are gone!”

Once Hana managed to wrangle her way out of Titania’s grip, she asked, “Uh, do we have to pay for these dresses?”

Titania laughed. “No, no. They’re for hire for those in the castle, but the royals and their companions are allowed to wear them for free. It’s not just because we’re royals, of course. My great-great-great-great grandmother was the one who found the materials necessary to make most of the dresses in Novoselic today. It’s kind of a thank you for those before us.”

“That’s impressive,” Hana said. “Though I’m surprised that you know all that yet you didn’t know what a Makango was.”

Titania turned red. “Sh-shut up!”

Hana laughed as they moved downstairs. She made sure to take note of where she was, not wanting to get lost. At least she was with Titania, who had probably learned from her parents were everything in the castle was beforehand. It was either that or they were going to get lost together. She knew which option she preferred.

It was quite a walk to the party wing and there seemed to be more people bustling around than before. It made sense, she thought, considering there would be an actual ball in a few hours. Everyone wanted to have their gowns ready for the evening, whether to impress their partner, the royal family, or themselves.

Everyone looked up as they passed by, most bowing slightly to Titania, who smiled at every single one of them. She had always been a beautiful girl, but today she looked absolutely radiant. It was as if she had lived in the castle her entire life and knew everyone personally, even if it wasn’t at all true. Hana was proud of her.

The doors to the ball wing were already open, several people loitering near them. The room itself was large, a maze of dresses and change rooms. Hana had never seen so many clothes in one room, let alone dresses as fine as these, and so she froze in place as Titania tried to pull her in each and every direction.

It wasn’t long before a maid rushed over to them, doing the same curtsey and jig the other maid had. “Your Royal Highness and Your Highness, what do we owe the honour and pleasure?”

“We’re looking for some dresses for the ball this evening,” Titania said. “Princess Claudia and the other girls will be along in a little bit, but I thought Hana-chan and I would come first since I’m of age and she will be next month. I thought this would be a good early birthday present for her.”

Hana could only stare as Titania winked at her. She had almost forgotten about her birthday after everything that had happened the past few days, but it appeared that she was the only one. She sent Titania a grateful smile.

The maid was very excited, clapping her hands. “Wonderful! Did you have anything particular in mind? A style or a colour, perhaps?” She was already facing away from them, looking through the racks.

Titania tapped her finger against her chin. “Hm, I was thinking a deep purple. Maybe royal or plum. As for the style, I don’t really mind. What about you, Hana-chan?”

Hana looked around at all of the dresses, but nothing in particular caught her eye. “I… I’m not sure. I don’t really know what looks good on me.”

The maid swivelled back around and inspected her from head to toe, wrinkles deepening as if she was solving a difficult math problem. “Well, if you don’t mind my input, Your Highness, I think it’s safe to say that there are some colours that don’t suit you due to your bright hair colour. It’s a beautiful shade of red, but some colours would clash, such as most pinks and yellows. I think cool colours could work. Blue or green would probably be best.”

“Blue would look nice, I think,” Hana said. Although she wouldn’t have minded either, she knew green was Karin’s favourite colour. She would leave the green to her.

The maid nodded eagerly. “Of course, Your Highness! Would you like some help finding a dress? This offer stands for you too, Your Royal Highness.”

Titania waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll be fine. I’m confident I know what I’m doing. What about you, Hana-chan?”

Hana liked to think of herself as a confident person as well, but when she saw how many racks there were to look through, she didn’t feel very eager to explore alone. “Um, I don’t really know what I’m doing,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Some help would really be nice, if that’s okay with you.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” the maid said, moving forward. “Please follow me. I know where there are some gorgeous blue dresses that haven’t even been looked at yet.”

Hana followed the woman further into the store, making sure she could still tell where Titania was. It wasn’t very hard when she was humming so loudly, but Hana was still concerned. It was really beginning to dawn on her that she was no longer on the island. New experiences were going to be inevitable for her, and wearing a gown was just one of them. She needed her friends around her.

She hadn’t realized there were so many shades of blue in the world until her eyes settled on the rack before her. Dark blues, sky blues, baby blues, pale blues – they had them all. This was going to be a harder decision than she initially thought, or at least that was what she assumed until the maid took something off the rack.

“What about this one, Your Highness?”

Hana looked at the dress in question. It was a pale blue, the strapless bodice beaded with white jewels until the waist where the skirt began to flow out. Reaching out, she let her hesitant hand touch the fabric. It was soft and light.

“This one looks amazing. Where may I try it on?”

The maid smiled and pointed behind her. “If you go that way there should be a change room ready for you. Good luck!”

Hana thanked her and raced in the direction she had pointed. She wasn’t usually one for long gowns, but now that she was here and had the opportunity she was determined to look nice. The back of her mind told her that she wouldn’t be anywhere near as striking as Titania would be, but that was fine. To her, this was the Tanaka family’s night.

As she slipped the dress on, she heard the other girls arrive. She could tell it was them by Natsuhi’s loud voice and Seiya’s innocent tone as she picked out each dress she wanted to try on. It made her want to change faster, but the dress material needed to be taken care of.

Once she was finished, she looked in the mirror. Her hair wasn’t done and her face was red from the lack of air while being trapped in the many layers of the dress, but other than that she looked stunning. At least she thought so. The dress seemed to fit, in any case.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the curtain and revealed herself to everyone waiting. Titania had finished trying on her dress, a dark purple halter-neck number, and was now waiting for her. Her eyes lit up when she saw Hana leave the dressing room and she quickly called for the maid, who came and simply stared.

“She looks amazing, right?!” Titania squealed. The maid only nodded. “Now it’s time to get our hair and make-up done next door, then accessorise and – oh my goodness, wait for the shoes.”

“Wait, what –” Hana didn’t have time to protest as she was pulled out of the room, the maid giving them a quick wave as they disappeared around the corner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I've never been on a plane in my life? I figured the royal family jet would be pretty lax, though.
> 
> A few things that I didn't manage to slip into this chapter is one: the palace isn't the small castle Sonia described during the game since I have a headcanon that it was destroyed while she was under Enoshima's influence and had to be rebuilt and two: Sonia is indeed responsible for the non-royals being called Highness. She figured they were pretty much family anyway and therefore deserved to be dressed as such.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: panic attacks.
> 
> The Overprotective Father Squad is a failure, poor boys.

“I don’t think I’m ready for this,” Claudia said, fiddling with her necklace. She looked paler than usual and was swallowing repeatedly.

The girls had just left the styling chambers (that was a thing, apparently) and were heading to the ballroom, Titania in the lead. It was almost time for the ball and they had to be there thirteen minutes prior to the meeting time unless they wanted to face a severe punishment. It was a strange custom, but one that existed and had to be obeyed.

Natsuhi put an arm around Claudia, her orange gown floating to the side from the momentum. “Don’t worry, Claudia-chan. You’ve totes got this. And you look fantastic!”

Seiya nodded, slipping her hand into Claudia’s. “That’s right! You look like a true dark goddess! Black isn’t my colour, but it’s definitely Claudia’s.”

Claudia smiled at both of them. “Of course I look like a dark goddess. I am one.” Her voice still sounded shaky, but she picked up the pace.

Everyone else was waiting at the top of a staircase, all of them hidden by a black curtain. Sonia was at the front, dressed to impress with her large, peach ball gown and Gundam at her side. The others were all lined up behind them, the married first, the single second, and the boys last. Hana figured it was another custom, though she was sure the Tanaka children should have been behind their parents. Maybe she was just missing something.

When Sonia saw them, she let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, you’re here, thank goodness. I thought we would have to give you the penalty! Okay, everyone line up according to age, yes? One by one.”

Hana quickly slotted between Sorin and Natsuhi as Sonia spoke again. “Alright, there are a few things you need to know before we go out there. One is that you should not feel scared to dance and you may dance in any style you like but there will be some traditional dances too. Don’t worry, they’re easy to pick up. The second is that there will most likely be reporters around and they will understand if you don’t wish to speak to them, but they are really interested in you all! And the third is to please, please, not mention 1962.” Her eyes glazed over. “We prefer to pretend the outbreak didn’t happen.”

Before anyone could ask what she was talking about, a voice could be heard from inside the ballroom. “Ladies, gentlemen, both, and neither, now presenting Their Majesties, Queen Sonia and King Gundam.”

“Ooh, time to go!” Sonia said, linking her arm with Gundam’s as the curtain opened.

Hana could see parts of the ballroom now as well as the people down below. They all started to clap as the line moved slowly down a wide set of stairs. It was as if she had stepped into an ice palace, the walls and floors a light blue colour, the lighting creating a glossy look. There were several doorways leading to different balconies and an orchestra was placed towards the back.

“Fucking shit, it’s like a fucking Disney movie,” she heard Natsuhi say from behind her, voice low.

Their names were all read out as they made their entrance. Hana’s heart skipped a beat as people applauded at the sound of her name, something she had never thought possible. Part of her wished she hadn’t left her camera in the hands of the maids, knowing she would have had many photo opportunities, but she also knew that she wouldn’t have done anything else. She needed to relax tonight, have some fun.

When they were all safely on the ground, the announcer spoke again. “And now the Royal Family will perform the first dance. Led by the king and queen themselves, they will take centre stage and their children will follow with their respective partners.”

The music began and Claudia proceeded to freak out. “What? First dance? What does that mean? I wasn’t told about this!”

“Relax, Claudia,” Titania said as Sonia and Gundam moved to the dance floor. “Just remember what Aunt Hiyoko taught us when were younger about keeping in step. And I’m sure there will be heaps of boys wanting to dance with you, okay?”

Claudia didn’t seem too reassured, but she nodded anyway. “Okay.”

Titania grinned. “Fantastic!” She looked over at her parents, who were moving about the floor with ease. “Now, uh…” She flushed and whispered something to Minato, who nodded and held his hand out. She took it and they joined her parents, twirling with ease.

Hana moved back to stand near the stairs as Sorin stepped next to her. “I didn’t know your dad could dance.”

“Mum said he couldn’t for a while,” Sorin said. “She had to teach him almost every day until their wedding day. He was really nervous, apparently.”

She laughed. “That sounds like him.” A few seconds of silence passed between them before she did a double take. “Wait, what are you standing here with me for? Go and dance!”

Sorin seemed to hesitate, his gaze flickering between Hana and the dance floor. In the end, he half-heartedly offered her his hand. She stared at it, wondering what he was doing until she realized his intentions. Her eyes widened, but she smiled and took his hand, letting him lead her to the dance floor.

The music sounded familiar, like something she may have listened to while she was younger. Perhaps Sonia had played it for them when they were very young. She looked around her, meeting Sonia’s smile and Titania’s excited eyes. The guests were all facing them, watching their every move as they stood in their circle. She couldn’t help but laugh as she saw her father’s face. He was talking to her mother animatedly, an angry look on his face as he pointed at the dance floor.

“Why do I have the feeling your dad is going to have a few choice words with me after this?” Sorin muttered.

Hana smirked. “It’s your fault for asking me to dance.”

“Then it’s your fault for accepting.”

“Touché.”

Her gaze drifted to the stairs where they had been only moments earlier. Claudia was scanning the crowd, probably for a potential dance partner, when Ayuta leaned over and whispered something to her. Her shoulders relaxed as the two of them quickly joined the party on the dance floor.

Hana couldn’t help but keep her eyes trained on her feet during the dance, concerned that she would trip in her long dress. Titania and Sonia were naturally more graceful than she was, and she wondered why Sorin hadn’t chosen Natsuhi to dance with him instead, considering she was the best dancer of all of them.

“Your feet a fine,” he said as he caught her staring.

She made a disgruntled noise. “I should have worn a shorter dress.”

“…I like the dress.”

His voice was barely above a whisper, but she heard it. He looked away from her and she smiled, no longer focusing on her feet. All she had to do was breathe in and she would be fine. If she blocked out everyone else around her it would be easier to enjoy the moment.

But blocking everyone else out made her far more aware of herself and Sorin. His hand on her bare back made her shiver, goose bumps appearing on her skin. She hoped that he wouldn’t notice, but that was too much for ask for as his brows furrowed.

“Are you cold?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No, I’m not. I’m just excited.”

At least she was sure that was the truth. She was definitely excited, but she was also incredibly nervous, even when she ignored everyone else in the room. She could try and convince herself that nothing was wrong, but that didn’t always work. Logic and emotions often clashed.

“If you’re sure,” he said as the song ended. He stepped back and bowed. She curtsied as everyone else started moving to the dance floor.

She smiled as brightly as she could. “I’m sure.”

Weaving her way through the crowd to the sidelines, she was quickly caught by her father, who dragged her back to where her mother was standing. Mahiru shot Kazuichi a disapproving glare from her spot near the stairs.

“Dad, what are you doing?!” Hana said as he stopped right in front of her mother.

“Mahiru, tell her that she’s not allowed to dance with boys,” Kazuichi said as he let go of his daughter’s wrist.

Mahiru took a sip of her drink, expression unchanging. “No, Kazuichi. It’s a ball. She’s going to be dancing with boys and there’s nothing you can do about it. She’ll be eighteen next month. That’s the age of an adult here. Besides, Sorin-kun isn’t going to hurt her and neither is anyone else here. You’re becoming paranoid.”

Kazuichi looked like he had just sucked a lemon. “Alright, fine! But what about Karin? She’s only sixteen. What if she doesn’t know what she’s doing and she ends up making out with some Novoselic guy in the corner?!”

Hana wanted to mention that the odds of that were very low, that Karin hadn’t been interested in boys for quite a while now, but she didn’t. It wasn’t her place to say. Instead, she focused on her own problem. “Mum’s right, dad. I can dance with who I want to. Is this all you wanted me for? ‘Cause I could be out there having fun and I’m stuck here listening to you whine. And Karin can dance with who she wants too as well, while we’re at it.”

Without waiting for an answer from her father, she turned on her heel and stalked away. She could hear her father’s protests and her mother’s laughter and she knew she had succeeded. Smiling to herself, she walked over to her friends who were calling her over.

The night continued without much incident. Mikan tripped a couple of times here and there and Ibuki almost blew up the entire palace when she tried to play in place of the orchestra when they took a break, but there was nothing else worth noting. Gundam, Kazuichi, and Fuyuhiko had made an unofficial group in an attempt to keep their daughters from dancing with anyone they deemed unworthy, but they weren’t very successful.

Hana had finished dancing with a Novoselic boy when she caught sight of the camera crew surrounding Claudia. This wasn’t anything to worry about, or at least that was what Hana had thought at first, since those from Jabberwock had been speaking to the press since the beginning of the night. Everyone seemed to be okay with it, if not a little awkward, but Claudia was different. Her eyes would dart around as if searching for an escape whenever they spoke to her, fingers always tugging on a piece of jewellery or clothing.

This time, Claudia was looking far too pale. She and her siblings were already naturally fair skinned, but Hana feared that she would become transparent if she lost anymore colour. Sensing her friend’s distress, she started to make her over, but she never had the chance to help.

“U-Um, I’m not feeling too well, please excuse me!” Claudia said in a rush, bowing and running towards the stairs.

She pushed past Hana near the bottom of the stairs and ran upwards, not stopping for anyone. Hana didn’t waste any time in following her, concern growing in the pit of her stomach as she ducked behind the curtain and started to search.

Claudia was curled in a ball on a window seat, her sobs echoing in the empty hallway. She didn’t look up as Hana sat down next to her, but she managed to croak out, “G-Go back to the… Go back to the party, Hana. I’m fine. I am the dark goddess, and dark goddesses don’t cry.”

“No, you’re _not_ fine and you _are_ crying,” Hana said, moving an inch closer. “Are you okay? Do you need a drink of water?”

Claudia shook her head as steps were heard by the curtain. Hana looked over to see Gundam, a look of panic on his face. When he saw Claudia, he ran over, Hana standing up so he could sit down. If anyone would be able to help Claudia, it would be him.

“Claudia, what’s the matter?” he asked, voice low.

As soon as she heard her father’s voice, Claudia flung her arms around him, crying openly now. Her breaths were uneven and she was shaking. “I don’t like it down there, daddy. I feel sick and I can’t breathe and I can’t swallow and I just feel really uneasy.”

Hana’s heart broke. Her goddess façade had been completely stripped away. Now she was only a young girl crying into her father’s chest. Her tears were surely staining his shirt and jacket, but he didn’t care. He held her tightly and rocked her back and forth as he said, “It’s alright. It’s a bit overwhelming, but it will be over soon. After this song there will be one more dance, the father daughter one. Do you want to go find your sister and dance together?”

Claudia sat up straight, wiping her eyes and nodding. “Okay.”

She was still shaking as she stood and took her father’s hand, but she had stopped crying for the time being, so Hana was satisfied. Yet there was an unshakable feeling of self-loathing at the back of her mind telling her that she had failed. She hadn’t been able to help. Maybe she could have with time, but she didn’t have any. Her heart sank.

Pushing the thought away, she moved towards the curtain and down the stairs. The song ended and the announcer’s voice rang throughout the room. “Alright! The night is almost over, but we’ve got time for one last dance. Dads, grab your daughters and bring them to the dance floor for the last dance of the evening!”

Hana smiled and searched for her father. He was by one of the food tables, placing his empty glass on the table before scanning the room himself. She started to walk over to him when he smiled, looking in a different direction. She looked to her side and saw Karin running straight for their father, grabbing his hands and dragging him to the dance floor. Both of them had big smiles on their faces as they started to move, laughing as they talked to one another.

Hana instinctively reached her hand out towards them, but she was too far away. She was on the sidelines, as per usual. The other girls were all having fun. Gundam was taking turns spinning Titania and Claudia in circles. Fuyuhiko passed them, being thoroughly outdanced by Natsuhi as he stared at his feet. Seiya was running circles around Hajime and Nagito, both of whom were trying to catch her. Everyone was laughing and smiling.

She had to blink back her tears. There were cameras around. She wasn’t going to cause a scene.

Just as she was about to run upstairs, there was a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see the imposter. He was chewing, probably having come straight from the buffet table. When he swallowed, he gave her a small smile.

“Would you like to dance, milady?” he asked, holding out his hand.

Hana mirrored his smile. She knew what he was doing, but she couldn’t say no. “Of course, Uncle Imp,” she said, taking his hand.

They stayed to the side of the room, neither of them wanting to draw too much attention as they swayed in place. It wasn’t exactly dancing, but it was better than bumping into the real fathers and daughters on the dance floor. The thought made a question pop in her mind.

“Wait, Uncle Imp, shouldn’t you be dancing with Aunt Ibuki? She _is_ pregnant with your child,” she said.

The imposter looked over at his wife, who was sitting down by some tables. She looked tired but she managed to tap her feet to the beat. “Ibuki’s tired. On a night like tonight it can be hard to keep just yourself upright, let alone two. Besides, I’m already sure we’re having a son.”

Hana raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Is that so? What makes you think that?”

He shrugged. “Father’s intuition.”

She only laughed, but it turned into a sigh. She wondered if her own father had ‘father’s intuition’. “Hey, Uncle Imp, can you promise me something?”

“What is it?”

“Promise me that if you ever have a daughter that you’ll never ignore her.”

It was the imposter’s turn to sigh. “I promise, but Hana-chan, I really don’t think your father means to ignore you.”

Hana had wanted to avoid the topic, but she knew there was no getting out of it with the imposter. He was the uncle who always listened to the children’s problems. He was the outside adult opinion that they needed a lot of the time. Even so, she had to disagree with him on this one. “Are you sure? ‘Cause sometimes it feels like he’s doing it on purpose.”

“Trust me when I say I don’t believe he’s that kind of person,” the imposter said. “Souda is friendly enough, but he can be an idiot without noticing. Sometimes he just needs to be told straight out what’s going on. I think you should talk to him.”

She had thought about doing that a long time ago, but she had never found the courage. She always told herself it was because she thought her father wouldn’t listen or wouldn’t care. That just wasn’t true. In reality, she was worried that she would push him further away and their relationship would never be repaired. Was it dramatic? Yes, but it was how she felt.

“I… I don’t know,” she said. “I want to but… at the same time I don’t.”

The imposter nodded. “Yes, it can be tricky, but it will work out in the end. Trust me.”

She wanted to trust him, she really did. In fact she already sort of did. She just didn’t know whether she trusted her own abilities. She hadn’t been able to help Claudia earlier. How in the world was she supposed to help herself?

The song ended and the imposter bowed before walking back to his wife. Hana watched them stand before seeing where everyone else was. Her father and Karin were still laughing together and she had to force herself to look away. The Tanakas were saying goodbye to everyone one-by-one, some of the others joining them, and so she knew she would be able to slip away unnoticed.

Making sure not to bump into anyone, she dashed upstairs, pulling her skirts up so she didn’t trip. It was only when she was safely behind the curtain that she let her emotions spill out. She let the tears fall, covering her mouth just in case someone else walked into the hallway. Knowing she should leave before she was spotted, she started to head back to her room, even if she could hardly tell where it was.

She had only taken three steps before she heard the bang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //Evil cackling.
> 
> Okay, so! Some of you guys have been asking for references as to what the kids look like. I tried to draw them but I didn't want to blind you all for life, so I used DreamSelfy instead. You can see the pictures here: http://schneewrites.tumblr.com/dangledingleronpoopa
> 
> Please ignore the fact that it's my writing/rp blog. I haven't used my personal in like 29849383 years.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THIS. GIRL IS ON. FIYAAAAAAAAAH.

Hana flew through the curtain, almost falling face-first down the stairs. Oranges and reds seared through her vision as others started to scatter in every direction possible. She coughed as the smoke rose upwards.

The ballroom was on fire.

It looked like the flames had started in the very middle of the room, right on the dance floor. The painted mural on the ground was now ablaze and the fire was quickly spreading to other sides of the room. People sped past her, trying to run away, but she wasn’t going to back away. Her family and friends were all down there among the chaos and she was going to find them even if it killed her.

She kept to one side and, when the coast seemed clear, slid down the bannister. The heat was worse when she was so close, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it. She had people to find.

Sonia was easy to spot, her beautiful gown now scorched from the flames. She was crying as she hovered around the fire, trying to put it out with the fire extinguisher while Gundam tugged on her arm. Hana could tell from his body language that he was trying to help her escape, but it was no surprise that it wasn’t working. Sonia was dedicated to her country. She wasn’t going to just sit back and watch it burn.

The buffet table was now abandoned and she breathed a sigh of relief. Ibuki and the imposter were no longer around and she hoped and prayed that meant they had escaped safely. The Hinatas had disappeared as well, along with the Tanaka children. All four of the Kuzuryuus were rounding up families and rushing them outside. Natsuhi had probably insisted on staying, but that made Hana wonder. She and Karin were practically inseparable, so where was Karin?

She started to feel sick, but she didn’t know whether it was from her missing sister or the smoke. Ignoring the feeling, she sprinted towards Natsuhi, who was rounding up a group of crying children. She only looked up when Hana addressed her directly.

“Natsuhi-chan! Where’s Karin?”

Natsuhi’s ponytail almost did a three-sixty as she spun around. “What? She’s not with you?! Maybe she’s outside?”

Hana’s mind was now only filled with dread. Her sister was not the kind of person to sit back and do nothing during a crisis, even if it was life-threatening, and she definitely wouldn’t leave Natsuhi in here alone. She had to be around here somewhere.

“Thanks, Natsuhi,” she said, but Natsuhi was already gone, ushering the children out.

With a new determination, she dashed around the ballroom, looking under every table and chair. Karin was easy to spot with hair like hers, so she wasn’t in plain sight. That meant she was up to something, Hana knew it.

She only found her sister when she looked under the main staircase. Karin was squashed up inside, working on some tiny computer device. She didn’t notice Hana at all, too engrossed in what she was doing. Anger ran through Hana’s veins.

“Karin!”

Her head shot up and Hana let herself relax, just a little bit, but she tensed up again once Karin said, “Hana! Get out of here! It’s dangerous!”

“I should be saying the same to you!”

“I’m busy! I’m trying to find out where this fire came from in the first place! Just go!”

“Can’t you do that when the fire’s out?! We have to get out of here, Karin!”

Karin shook her head, going back to her work. “It’s easier to do it when the fire is live!”

“So it’s easier, but it’s not the only option, right?”

“Yeah, so what?”

Hana grabbed the device out of Karin’s hands, ignoring her protests, and hauled her up. “You can do it later, alright? Right now we need to get out of here and you are coming with me whether you like it or not!”

Ducking out from under the stairs, Hana stopped short. The heat was unbearable now, the fire having spread to the bottom of the stairs, ultimately blocking off their escape. There were only a few people left inside the ballroom now. Smoke was all Hana could see, smell, and taste as she tried to figure out a way out. It was only when she looked up that she had an idea.

“Karin, I need you to stand on my shoulders,” she said, turning to her sister. “With both of our heights we should be able to reach the railing. Once you get up you should be able to pull me up. You’re the athletic one, after all. Do you think you can do that?”

Karin looked up. “Yeah, I should be able to.”

Lifting up her skirts, Karin hoisted herself onto Hana’s shoulders with the help of the railing. She slid through the bars and came out the other side unscathed. Offering her hands and arms, she called, “Quick! The fire’s spreading up here!”

Hana grabbed her sister’s hands and forced herself upwards, positioning her feet between the bars until she could reach the railing. She swung over it with only a little difficulty, almost stumbling when she realized that Karin was right: the fire was spreading.

“Let’s go!” she screamed, and Karin didn’t have to be told twice. They raced upstairs and behind the curtain. There were several staff members running about, but other than that no one was there. They had probably all been evacuated.

“There are some stairs leading outside this way!” Karin said, running down the corridor and around the corner. Hana tried to keep up to the best of her ability as they left the palace, but she was running out of breath, her throat dry.

The garden outside the ballroom was beautiful at night with its fairy lights and fireflies, but Hana wasn’t able to enjoy any of it. Her top priority was finding her family and friends and making sure they were all safe. If any of them had been hurt in any way she wouldn’t know how to live with herself.

She and Karin dodged the people in the crowd, most of them moving further and further away from the castle for their safety. It was easier to search for everyone using the edge of the castle as a guide, and they soon found everyone outside the ballroom’s east balcony exit. They were hard to miss with all of the staff attending to Sonia and the… paramedics?

Karin was the first to question it. “Why are the paramedics here?”

Instead of an answer, the girl were both greeted by their mother, who had tears falling from her eyes as she ran over to them. She caught them both, one in each arm, and hugged them. “Thank goodness you’re alright!”

Karin slid out of Mahiru’s grasp as Hana began to cough. “Mum. Ambulance people. Why?”

Mahiru hesitated. “It’s Eiichi-kun. He went back inside to help some children and inhaled too much smoke. That plus the stress and the running wasn’t good for his heart. He’s unconscious, but they said he would be fine.”

Karin began to reply, but Hana wasn’t paying attention. Her world was beginning to spin as coughs racked her body. As the fit got worse, she felt hands grasp her arms and she fell into them, not caring who it was. She wanted to sleep and breathe and let all of her worries wash out of her in one, fleeting moment.

So she did.

 

* * *

 

The first thing Hana saw when she woke up was black fur.

“Hello, Talon,” she said, yawning. She was halfway through stretching when the previous night hit her like a tonne of bricks. “Wait, what’s going on here?”

Talon meowed at her as she sat up. She was back in her room in Novoselic’s palace, not the garden where she had been before. It was no longer dark either, the sun shining through the curtains, and she was wearing a set of silk pyjamas instead of her blue gown. It was probably for the best considering it was probably damaged by the fire and dirt, but she would miss wearing it.

There was a knock on the door. “Come in!”

Mikan walked in, her footsteps silent against the carpet. “It’s good to see you awake, Hana-chan. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” Hana said. “A bit weak, but I’m fine. How long have I been out? And how’s Eiichi-kun? And everyone else?”

Taking a few tools out of her bag, Mikan said, “You’ve been out for, um, about twelve hours. Eiichi-kun is awake, but he’ll need to rest in bed for a while, and everyone else is fine. No one was seriously injured or k-killed by the fire since the staff managed to put it out before it spread out of the ballroom.”

“Do they know what caused it?” Hana asked as Mikan flashed a light in her eyes. “Karin said she was trying to check it out while the fire was still going on.”

Mikan shook her head. “Sorry, but no, not at the moment. The staff won’t allow us to come near the ballroom, so we’re all sitting around waiting. Most people have been coming in and out of yours and Eiichi-kun’s rooms. I’m surprised no one was in here when I arrived.”

That explained why Talon was with her. Hana scratched the cat behind the ears as he purred softly. “At least everyone’s safe. Um, why did I faint, exactly?”

“You inhaled quite a bit of smoke,” Mikan said, packing her things away. “The others were fine since they didn’t come into contact with it, and if they did it wasn’t for very long. It’s not much and no permanent damage was done to your body, but I suggest you go outside when you’re up to it, even if you’re just on your balcony. The fresh air will do you a lot of good, and always remember to drink some water!”

Hana smiled softly. She truly admired Mikan when she was in her nursing mode. “Yes, Aunt Mikan.”

Mikan returned the smile and left the room. Hana could hear voices on the other side of the door, but not what they were saying. She let herself block it out, snuggling back under the sheets as Talon came to rest on her chest.

She closed her eyes only to open them again. The door flew open and Minato, Titania, and Sorin stumbled inside. She gave them a sheepish smile as they rushed over to her bedside, Titania sitting right beside her while the boys opted to remain standing.

“Aunt Mikan told us you were awake!” Titania said. “We’ve been waiting forever and hardly any of us got any sleep last night except for Aunt Ibuki, Yuzuru-kun, and Seiya-chan. The adults are trying to figure out what happened and the rest of us have just kind of been loitering around waiting for you and Eiichi-kun to wake up. How are you?”

Hana rubbed her forehead. “I’m fine. A little tired, but I’m fine.” She looked at Sorin. “Thanks for the cat, by the way. I appreciate it.”

He looked down. “I just thought he’d help to keep you company, that’s all.”

“I’m so annoyed that your dress was ruined,” Titania said with a sigh. “I mean, I’m glad it was the dress and not you, but you looked really, really good in it.”

Hana shifted slightly. “I know. What’s done is done, though. I need to go outside for a bit, get some fresh air. Is there any place particularly good for that?”

“The garden could work,” Minato said. His voice was lower than usual. He was definitely tired, but like all formidable warriors he was soldiering on. “I think we could all do with some fresh air. We’ve been cooped up inside all night.”

Gently placing Talon next to her, Hana started wiggling her way out of the bed. “Then you can all come with me, but first I need to change. Everybody out.” She shooed them with her hands, Titania laughing even as the door closed behind her.

It took a bit longer than usual to get dressed, her brain still a little out of it and her limbs a bit sore, but that was to be expected. She felt more comfortable in her own clothes in any case, the material feeling more familiar. There wasn’t anything wrong with the silk, but it just didn’t feel like home. She found it kind of funny considering she hadn’t left the island since she was born, so new experiences should have been a treat for her, but here they were.

The others were waiting outside when she left. No one else was in the hallway proper, but the door to Eiichi’s room was open and she could hear voices coming from inside. For some reason it felt like she was sneaking out, even though Mikan had given her the okay. Maybe it was because she hadn’t checked in with her parents yet.

Speaking of which, “By the way, where are my parents and Karin?”

They started walking as Titania said, “Aunt Mahiru is with mum and dad and is trying to contact Aunt Hiyoko. Your dad and Karin-chan are trying to get a signal for their little computer device without having to go to the scene of the fire themselves.”

So in other words, Kazuichi and Karin were spending more quality time together. Hana’s expression darkened and she didn’t say anything else as the other three spoke among themselves, though it was mostly Titania and Minato. Sorin was too busy catering to Talon, who had reunited with his owner while Hana was changing.

The garden was bigger than Hana had expected. It extended the entire way to the coast, the cottages among them only used if the servants chose to spend their vacation days in Novoselic, or so Titania said as they strolled inside. The place was closed off by a fence and a gate, but once inside they were free to explore to their heart’s content.

“Whoa,” Hana said, truly in awe. She had seen the view from above when she had been on her balcony, but seeing it from ground level was something else entirely. There were arches and pathways as well as engraved statues and even a small pond.

Titania skipped forward, hair flying behind her. “Now this is a beautiful sight! Not that I’m opposed to the beaches back at Jabberwock, of course, but it’s nice to have some beautiful flora once in a while. The park is nice grass-wise, but there aren’t a whole lot of plants, are there?”

She continued to babble on as she sniffed the flowers, Minato running after her. “Titania, slow down. You can enjoy everything better if you take your time.”

Hana giggled as Sorin said, “If my mother wasn’t so insistent on doing it herself I would shove a Makango in each of their faces, get things over and done with. Even if dad doesn’t want it to happen, it’s going to eventually. Besides, everyone knows that they’re meant to be, or however that saying goes.”

“Really?” Hana said. “You didn’t peg me as the romantic type, you know.”

Sorin placed Talon on the ground, letting him run after Titania and Minato. “You don’t have to be the romantic type to see it.”

“True,” Hana said, slowly moving forward. Sorin followed alongside her. “Should we catch up to them?

He shook his head. “No, let them have their moment. Considering what we’re up against they may not have that much time for a while.”

Hana frowned. “What do you mean? Are you talking about whatever started that fire? ‘Cause we still don’t know exactly what the threat is. It could have been an accident for all we know.”

“I’d like to think so too, but…” he trailed off and sighed. “It’s just that I overheard mum talking to the other adults while you were asleep. She said that there shouldn’t have been any explosives under there since no one should have had access to what’s underneath the ballroom. Apparently it’s just a grassy clearing under there that’s maintained periodically. Nothing worth of note.”

Curiosity was beginning to take a hold of her. “Usually when something is deemed not worthy of note it becomes more suspicious, don’t you think? That’s what happens in the movies anyway. It’s always in the last place they expect. I kind of want to explore now. Check things out for myself.”

Sorin rolled his eyes. “Don’t be stupid. You’re still weak, aren’t you? You shouldn’t be going out at night with no one to look after you. Just rest and let the adults handle it. They have more experience with all of this than we do. If any of us could figure out this mystery it would be Titania, anyway. She’s the perfect royal, after all, with all of her Novoselic knowledge.”

Was she imagining it? Or was there a slight bitterness to his voice? “Sorin… You are just as much of a prince as Titania is a princess. She probably only knows more because she’s going to be the queen and she’s actively studying the country’s history.” She paused, a plan formulating in her mind. “I’m sure you know some stuff about Novoselic that Titania doesn’t.”

He knew what she was doing, but he took the bait anyway. “I suppose I do. And there _is_ a library around here.” He gave her a suspicious look as they neared the pond. “Why, what exactly are you planning?”

She smirked. “How do you feel about a little bit of sneaking around?”

“Hana, you’re still –”

“– too weak? I’m not doing acrobatics or anything, you know. I’ll be fine.”

He stared at her for a few seconds. Then, “What if the culprit finds you or manages to get to you? You’re already physically weak without all of the smoke inhalation. With it you’re pretty much powerless.”

“Then we’ll just have to be careful, won’t we?” she said, stopping at the water’s edge to dip her fingers in. “Unless you’re not coming, that is. But you have to remember that I’m going to do this whether you’re in or not. So what are you going to do?”

She stood back up and matched his intense stare. There was no hesitation as he said, “I’m coming with you, of course. Someone has to keep an eye on you and your idiocy.”

Success. “Fantastic. But we’re going to need a plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOOM. Chapter. I actually had a lot of fun writing the fire scene. Also RIP Hana's dress.
> 
> Also, I hope Mikan's character is believable. I made her a bit healthier mentally, since it's been years and she's surrounded herself with people who don't treat her like garbage for that entire time. With the exception of Hiyoko, but she's matured as well.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> //Sings the Mission Impossible theme.

Hana had never found a clock so annoying in her entire life. Not only was it loud, but it wasn’t moving fast enough. She and Sorin had planned to meet at the library around midnight. He was already there, having wanted to get a head start on his research. She had wanted to help, but he refused, saying that she needed her rest beforehand if she insisted on this ‘idiotic adventure’ of hers.

She had only been able to sleep for a few hours before waking up again. Mikan stopped by again to check on her, then Claudia and Seiya, but no one else. She tried to tell herself that her parents and Karin were busy, but it still tugged at the back of her mind like strand of hair caught on a branch. It had hardly been twenty-four hours and she missed them. She knew her mother probably had her reasons, but her father and Karin…

Shaking her head, she tried to concentrate on her shoujo manga when she saw the time. Five to twelve. It was time.

Throwing her covers off, she quickly grabbed her bag and camera before leaving. She took extra care as she opened and shut her door, not wanting to alert anyone to her presence. Everyone should have been sleeping, tucked up safely in their beds, but she had to be cautious. Someone may have had the same idea she had.

She had memorized the way to the library earlier. It was easy to see her way thanks to the torches hanging off the walls, and thankfully no one was around to witness her sneaking around. There were a few guards scattered here and there, but she managed to avoid them easily. The rest of the staff must have already gone to sleep.

The library was at the top of one of the highest towers. She cringed as the spiral staircase creaked under her feet, but there was nothing to worry about. No one was around anymore to hear her bump her foot against the top stair or accidentally slam the double doors shut as she stepped inside.

Bigger than expected, the library was a grand room. It had multiple floors with antique bookcases and royal blue carpet. There were no windows, the only light source coming from the torches. It was like something out of a fantasy novel.

Sorin was sitting at one of the back tables. The area around him was dim, but she could still tell from far away that he was sleeping. She pouted. Did their meeting mean that little to him? How rude.

It was only upon closer inspection that she saw the books spread out in front of him, his head right on top of one. There was a pile to one side, a notebook on the other, and that was when she realized how hard he must have been working. She smiled softly. As much as she wanted to let him sleep, if only because he deserved a reward for working so hard, she needed him with her. Besides, he would get angry if she went off by herself. He was stubborn that way.

She shook his shoulder gently and whispered, “Sorin, hey, wake up.” Her voice didn’t need to be so low, but the atmosphere seemed right. Libraries _were_ supposed to be quiet places.

He stirred. “Huh?” It took him a few moments to realize where he was, and when he did he stood up straight. “Oh, shit, I must have fallen asleep. Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” she said, sitting next to him. “I just got here. And it looks like you’ve been working hard. I wish you’d let me help you.”

His knuckles knocked her forehead. “I keep on telling you, you’re too weak and you needed your rest. Besides, you wouldn’t have been able to keep up with me.”

She slapped his hand away. “Oi. Shut up and tell me what you found.”

He sighed but turned to his notes anyway. “Alright, so I was researching fires in Novoselic, and besides the usual ways there is one more that I found. Apparently a Skong, that animal you’re supposed to eat here to be recognized as an adult, is able to breathe fire. It’s a defence mechanism they take when they feel threatened, but if they stay like that for too long they cook themselves to death.”

“What? That’s horrible!” Hana said, slamming her fist down on the desk. “So do you think that’s what it was?”

Sorin shrugged, a pained look on his face. He was probably thinking about the animals, she realized. “I won’t know until we investigate. It might be that or it might be explosives. Unlike other parts of the world, Novoselic is more lax on its rules when it comes to those kinds of things. Kids here take basic warfare courses, so it’s not too surprising.”

Hana stood up without a second thought. “Let’s go then! The faster we investigate the faster you can return to your nice, warm bed.”

“Just me?” he asked, standing as well. “Don’t tell me you don’t plan on sleeping after all of this is done.”

“It’s not that,” she said. “I just think you need it more than I do. Don’t overwork yourself just because of my stupid plan.”

One of his eyebrows shot up as he picked up his notebook. “So you agree that it’s a stupid plan?”

“This camera has the same impact as a damn brick, so hold your tongue if you don’t wanna die.”

They left the library swiftly, being as quiet as possible. Now that she wasn’t looking after only herself, Hana was a lot more conscious of Sorin beside her, hoping they wouldn’t make too much noise together. They had agreed not to speak while investigating unless they absolutely had to, and even then they had to whisper. No one should have been awake but they couldn’t be too careful.

All of the ballroom doors were being guarded, so they had expected to not go through there, but they hadn’t expected every other entrance to the palace to be blocked as well. It made sense in hindsight considering they didn’t want the threat to escape if they were still inside, nor did they want them to return if they were outside. The royal family was under threat, after all. They needed to be protected.

“Any bright ideas?” Hana asked as they rounded a corner to get away from the back gate. “We can’t get out through the doorways, but there must be another way, right?”

Sorin leaned against the wall. “All of the documented entrances are being guarded, but that’s another thing… Weren’t they all being guarded during the ball as well?”

Hana tried to think back, but she couldn’t form a proper answer. She hadn’t been near most of the entrances during the ball, staying in the ballroom itself and the curtain area. The time prior to that had been spent with the other girls.

“I don’t know,” Hana answered truthfully. “I wasn’t paying attention to that. But if they were guarding all of the entrances, how did the culprit get under the ballroom? Providing they were there, of course.”

“Don’t tell me there’s a secret passage somewhere around here,” Sorin said. “Wait, no, that doesn’t sound too probable to me. Mum was the one who helped rebuild the castle. If there were any secret passages then she would know about it and probably would have checked it out already. It’s probably something else.”

Hana shook her head. “The point is that we need to get down there. We can think about that later. If no one can leave the castle through the doors, then we should leave through another way. And I think I have an idea.”

“Oh?” Sorin turned to face her. Suspicion was clear on his face. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”

She rolled her eyes and pointed to the opposite end of the hallway. One of the larger windows was there, showing them a view of the night sky and the nearby forest. “Those windows open, right? We’re on the ground floor. We can just jump out of them.”

“Not as bad as I was thinking,” he said, already walking in that direction. “Alright, let’s go.”

Their next problem arose as soon as they were staring directly at the window. There was definitely a way to open it, but there was a keyhole and no key. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy, but Hana wasn’t going to give up, no way, no how.

Opening her bag, she rummaged through and took out an old film canister. Sorin watched her, not saying a word as she opened the cap and slid a bobby pin out. She ignored his questioning look, leaning over and jamming the pin into the lock. It took a good minute, but the clicking noise came and she put her equipment away, turning to grin at him.

“I sometimes have to get dust out of small crevices in my camera and equipment. That’s why I carry bobby pins around,” she said.

She gently pushed the window open, making sure it didn’t make a single sound, and jumped over the window sill. It was low, so she managed not to hurt herself. If it had been any higher she would have hit her legs and not for the first time she cursed her lack of athleticism. Sorin didn’t seem to have any difficulty, though his legs were much longer than hers, so that was to be expected.

Sorin shut the window before looking around. “It looks like we should go this way,” he said, pointing over her shoulder. “If we use the castle walls as a lead, we should get there soon. From memory there aren’t any entrances between here and there, but we should keep our eyes peeled. There are probably guards on patrol as well. If worse comes to worst we can hide in the forest.”

They set off, the only sound being their feet crunching on the grass. It was wet from the cold air and Hana was grateful she had remembered her jacket. Sorin, on the other hand, was still dressed for the daytime weather. He had a normal shirt and vest on, his arms exposed to the autumn night chill. He started to rub them and Hana once again searched through her bag, making him stop and wait for her.

“What are you –” He stopped as she presented him with a pair of gloves. They were a simple black colour, nothing too noteworthy about them, but they were warm and soft and would cover him up to his elbows.

“Take them,” she said. “You’re cold.”

He looked like he wanted to refuse for a moment before he snatched them out of her hands and put them on. She closed her bag with a satisfied smile and continued walking.

Nothing bothered them the rest of the way. Just as Sorin had said, there were no entrances on this side of the castle, so they had a safe walk. Even so, Hana’s heart was pumping and she had no clue as to why. She had spent a lot of nights on Jabberwock just walking around from place to place whenever she couldn’t sleep. The night never scared her, so why now?

Her pulse raced as they arrived at the ballroom. They stayed by the wall, eyes trained on the guards. They thankfully weren’t at the bottom of the stairs but at the top, so they didn’t see them sneak underneath the stairs and into the small clearing.

The grass in the clearing hadn’t been cut in a while, but it wasn’t unmanageable. There were bushes surrounding the area, but they were all dark and dull, probably weeds instead of proper plants. Hana was only just able to stand upright, but Sorin had to duck slightly so he didn’t hit his head on the ballroom floor.

“They’ve probably already looked under here,” he said. “But if they found anything I don’t think they would have moved it. It’s evidence and there’s a law here that you can’t remove evidence from a suspected crime scene for three days.”

Hana slowly stepped forward, her hand on the remaining ceiling. She tried not to think about how small the place was or how there were probably disgusting insects around. Any fears she had would have to take a backseat for now. They had a job to do.

“What are you doing?” Sorin asked, following her.

“If the explosion came from down here, it would be inevitable that the floor would be damaged, so I was wondering if the culprit would try and destroy evidence by attaching it to the roof, or something like that,” she said as her hand touched something. “I think I found a clue.”

Sorin was instantly beside her. “What is it?”

She moved her hand against the ceiling. “It feels like paper.” She pulled it down. “Yep, a piece of paper.”

“Does it say anything?” he asked, moving so their shoulders were touching. “If you can read it in this darkness, that is.”

She unfolded the paper, bringing it close to her face and squinting. She almost dropped it when she saw the words written there in swirly handwriting.

“It says, ‘ _Hello, Hana and Sorin. I’m sorry, but there isn’t much here. The Skongs I used have now been disposed of and all evidence of my involvement has been erased. You are heading in the right direction, however_.’”

At the mention of the Skongs, Sorin’s face twisted in agony. Hana placed her hand on his arm in what she hoped was a gesture of comfort. “Who wrote this? I mean, whoever it was knew we were coming here. We were in the garden the entire time while talking about the plan. Maybe someone overheard us?”

Sorin shrugged, a strange sight to see when he was still hunched over. “I don’t know. The garden’s a big place and there are a lot of places to hide. Plus there are the staff cottages. Someone could have easily been hiding in there.”

“What I don’t understand is why it was necessary to leave the note,” Hana said. “I mean, it’s almost like they’re egging us on, like they _want_ us to find them. If they didn’t want that they wouldn’t have left a message for us or told us the method they used to set the explosion.”

“Forget about that.” There was a forceful edge to Sorin’s voice this time. “They know who we are now. I’m not concerned about me, but what about you? Like I said, you’re pretty weak naturally and now you’re in a worse condition than usual. You’re an easy target.”

Hana whirled around, her hair slapping him in the face. “Would you quit saying that? I know the risks and I’m not exactly proud of how much I suck at sports, okay? I’m doing what I can with what I’ve been given. I’m just trying to help.”

Sorin rubbed his cheek. “I know that, but so am I. If you somehow died I would feel responsible. Your sister would hate me, your parents would hate me – especially your father. He’d want to punch me.”

She scoffed. “Somehow I doubt that.” With a sigh, she looked towards the exit. “We might as well go and look for something else. Unless you want to sleep, which would be fine with me.”

“Hana…”

Ignoring him, she ducked underneath the stairs and out the other side, remembering to stay pressed against the wall. Sorin appeared a second later looking both frustrated and upset, but he didn’t say anything else. He instead looked at her, waiting for her opinion.

She gladly gave it. “I think we should go back to the garden.” Her eyes shifted to the guards above them who had decided to talk among themselves instead of keeping proper watch. “We were obviously overheard there. It’s worth a look, but we’ll have to go back through the forest.”

Sorin nodded and she was relieved he didn’t argue. They tip-toed into the forest, remaining near the front just enough to see the castle walls. It was denser than Hana had expected, but she wasn’t complaining, the darkness giving her an excuse not to look at Sorin. She was already beginning to feel guilty, but her stubbornness was showing through. She wasn’t going to apologize first.

When they arrived at the garden, it looked much different. There were lanterns overhead and a group of glowing butterflies drifted from flower to flower. It was absolutely stunning, but there wasn’t any time to dwell on it. They needed to look around and see if they could find any clues.

“Titania-chan said that the cottages were only used when the staff was on break, right? Do you think that means they’re left unlocked?” Hana asked.

Sorin’s gaze was fixed on the butterflies, the only evidence he was listening being his response. “In any other country I’d doubt it, but Novoselic is pretty lax on the rules. The crime rate here is practically non-existent, so there wouldn’t be a reason to lock anything.”

Hana nodded and moved forward, heading toward the rows of cottages. “Let’s check inside them, then. We can – wait, why are the lights on in that one?”

The very first cottage’s lights were on, making it stand out from the others. Voices could be heard from inside and it was easy to tell that it wasn’t just one person talking to themselves. From a distance it was hard to figure out what was being said, so she began to step closer, but Sorin held his arm out, stopping her.

“What?”

“You don’t want to get too close. Just in case,” he said. “You can’t just barge in there whenever you want.”

She pushed his arm down. He hadn’t been expecting it and she seemed to have hit harder than she thought as he let out a loud yelp. They both froze as the voices in the cottage cut off. They had been heard.

Sorin grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the side of the cottage, using big strides to make it in time. As soon as they were settled, the door opened and someone’s footsteps could be heard. Hana held her breath. She didn’t want to be spotted. Not now, not when they were closer to solving the mystery. At least she hoped they were.

“Who’s there?”

Hana’s hands balled into fists. That was Karin’s voice. What was she doing out here in the garden at this time of night? Surely she wasn’t doing the same thing they were, was she? In that case who was the other person? Natsuhi? She had to find out.

“Hana, no!” Sorin said as she leaped up and dashed around the building.

Karin, hearing her footsteps, turned around. Her eyes widened when she saw her sister standing there. “Huh, Hana? What are you doing here?”

Hana crossed her arms. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“Oh, dad and I are still looking for that signal to find out the source of the fire.” Karin turned to the door, which was still open. “Hey, dad! Get out here! Hana’s here!”

There was the familiar sound of tools being dropped on wood seconds before Kazuichi appeared in the doorway. He was surprised to see Hana there too, but Hana didn’t care about that. She remembered that they had been together since the fire, trying to figure out what had happened but to no avail. They hadn’t bothered to ask for her opinion, even though they surely knew by now that she was awake.

“Hana, what are you doing out here at this hour?” Kazuichi asked, both he and Karin walking towards her. “It’s dangerous to be here. Wait, how did you get past the guards anyway? You should go back to bed, okay? You’re still weak, aren’t you? And Karin and I need to get some stuff done.”

Something inside Hana’s brain must have snapped. The urge to prove herself won over her and she blurted out: “Skongs. Skongs caused the fire and they came from underneath the ballroom. You know, in that clearing? Skongs breathe fire as a defence mechanism and that’s what was used. So you can go to bed now.”

Kazuichi frowned. “Hana… How do you know that?”

Of course she would be questioned. If it was Karin, the answer would have been accepted no matter what. She was the genius, after all. “I investigated. Not all of us need technology to find things out.”

“Wait…” Kazuichi’s expression turned from surprise to anger. “You shouldn’t have been able to get under there. Hell, you shouldn’t even _be_ here. There are guards everywhere. Don’t tell me you snuck out on your own.”

Hana’s fists were clenched so hard that her nails were digging into her skin. “Why should that matter? I found out what you wanted to know, didn’t I? Besides, I wasn’t on my own, I was with Sorin!”

A groan was heard from behind the cottage. Sorin crawled into sight, a look of annoyance on his face. At this point Hana didn’t care about throwing him under the bus. She was more focused on how angry her father was, how he wasn’t taking her seriously.

“And you were out with a boy!” Kazuichi said, throwing his hands up. “I don’t know what to do with you, Hana. Seriously.”

She would not cry, she would absolutely _not_ cry. “You never did! Why does it even matter who I went with? Why does it matter when I have the information you wanted. You’re not listening to me!”

“Where did you even get this information, huh?” Kazuichi’s sharp teeth could be seen clearly, even in the darkness.

Hana pursed her lips and took out the piece of paper from her pocket. “When we went underneath the ballroom I found this. It says, ‘ _Hello, Hana and Sorin. I’m sorry, but there isn’t much here. The Skongs I used have now been disposed of and all evidence of my involvement has been erased. You are heading in the right direction, however_.’”

Kazuichi ripped the paper from her hands and read it over before looking at her again, shaking it around as he said, “How do you know this isn’t a forgery?! And even if it _is_ real, the person who wrote it knew you were coming. What if they weren’t so nice to leave a note? What if they wanted to kill you? This is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done!”

Hana drew back. Her father had never yelled at her like that before. Usually he would ignore her in favour of Karin. Now that he was finally paying attention to her it was for all the wrong reasons. She just couldn’t win. She felt like she was going to be sick.

But she didn’t throw-up when she opened her mouth. Instead she screamed, “I hate you!”

It was a hoarse scream, one of desperation and fear. Many children said they hated their parents during an argument or two, but it never sounded as tormented as it did coming from her. Tears began to stream down her cheeks, strangled sobs leaving her as Kazuichi and Karin’s eyes widened. She couldn’t even feel satisfied with that. She was too far deep in her emotional state to care.

With one last glare, she turned and ran. She ignored the shouts for her to stop and the glowing butterflies that fluttered in front of her. Her only goal right now was to get back to her room, her mind only barely remembering that she had to go back through the window, and it was simple luck that helped her recognize which one it was. It took all of her willpower not to slam the window shut when she was back inside.

She covered her mouth so she wouldn’t let any of her cries escape. The way back was easy, the guards not as worried about the upper floors compared to the lower ones. She didn’t meet anyone on the way back to her room and that was the way she had wanted it. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, to see anyone, to tell anyone what had happened. She just wanted to forget everything.

It was only when she was in her room that she let herself sob. Claudia next door may have been able to hear her, but she didn’t care. She locked the door behind her to prevent anyone from coming in. She wanted to be alone. Perhaps forever.

She would have fallen on her bed and not left it for days had the note not been on her pillow.

_‘I know how you can gain your father’s approval. Meet me tomorrow at midnight in the clearing.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHOSE BIRTHDAY IT IS! //Points to self.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Also, some amazing fanart has been done by FreakySandra1995 that you can find here: http://fav.me/d980h1a


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: internalized homophobia and talk of hetero-normativity as well as violence (choking and syringes).
> 
> IT'S GOIN' DOWN.

Hana stared at the note in her hands. She had been analysing it all day, having nothing else to do. The handwriting was the same as the note in the clearing, so of course she didn’t trust it, but it made her wonder. This person had blown up Novoselic’s ballroom for some unknown reason. It was very possible they had an idea on how she could impress her father.

She had stayed in her room the entire day save for the few times she needed to use the bathroom. She didn’t want to see or speak to anyone, though many people had passed by and knocked on her door. Her mother had done so that morning, wanting to talk about last night, but she had given up fairly quickly. Next had been Karin, who sounded as if she didn’t know what to say. Then came Titania and Minato, both of them having heard the story from Sorin. Hana hadn’t responded to any of them.

The note was crinkled now. She had been holding it too much, trying to find some kind of hidden meaning. She didn’t know who the person was, at least not by name, but she had some ideas. The way they were able to move through the castle unseen meant they were disguised, but that didn’t have to mean they were dressed in all black and crawling across the ceiling. No, they were probably a staff member.

That brought up another question: why would a staff member want to hurt the king and queen?

If there was one weakness that Hana had, it would be her curiosity. Many would say that it was her stubbornness, but she disagreed, her need to find information more pressing than her pride. Usually. If something interested her she would research it. That was exactly what she was doing with whoever this culprit was. Soon she would have a name, she was sure of it.

_Knock, knock!_

She frowned and rolled on her side, sliding the piece of paper under her pillow. Whoever it was would speak to her regardless of whether she answered or not. Everyone knew she was in there.

“Hana-chan!” It was Ayuta. “Aunt Mikan was worried that you haven’t been eating properly and it’s already ten-thirty. Are you sure you don’t want some dinner? Uncle Teruteru has leftovers.”

Guilt swelled in her chest. She felt bad not responding to him, especially when he was only sending a message, but she didn’t feel like talking to anyone. Right now she hated everyone with a burning, searing passion. At least that was what she was telling herself. In the end, she only felt lonely.

“Okay, well, goodnight, Hana-chan. Feel better.” Ayuta sounded tired, probably from worrying about Eiichi for the past few days. His footsteps faded away and she was alone once more.

Knowing that everyone would be in their bedrooms, she clambered out of bed and headed to her wardrobe. She hadn’t changed since the previous day. She had been in too bad of a mood to do much of anything unless it was necessary. Even her shoujo manga and novels weren’t interesting her.

When she was finished, she combed her hair. It was sticking up from her head rubbing against the pillows, and while she knew it would be dark, she still didn’t want to risk being seen with bed-hair. Whoever had called her probably had more interest in her issues than her appearance. She could tell at least that much.

It was a daunting wait after that. She was impatient, tapping her fingers against her arm and pacing around her room. It was just like last night, except this time she had more of a reason to be nervous. She would be alone, and while that usually wouldn’t have been a problem, it was nerve-wracking to face a criminal by herself. Even so, she would do it.

A quarter to midnight, she just couldn’t wait anymore. She slowly opened her door and stepped out, only to stop immediately when she heard the footfall of someone else beside her. Slowly shutting the door behind her, she turned to face Claudia, who looked like a deer in the headlights. Hana was sure she looked the same.

“…Hana-chan, are you alright?” Claudia asked, voice timid before she cleared her throat and stood up straight. “The elders have sent word that you have been unwell.”

Hana shut the door behind her. “I’m fine, but… Claudia-chan, where are you going at this time of night?”

Claudia’s eyes widened a fraction and she looked away, but she no longer had to give an answer. Hana could clearly see the piece of paper sticking out from the folds of her scarf. It seemed she wasn’t alone in her endeavour after all.

“Claudia-chan, were you called out too?” she asked softly.

Claudia looked at her once more, mouth open and ready to deny everything before what Hana said completely caught up with her. “Wait, ‘too’? I wasn’t the only one summoned into the depths of hell itself?”

Hana wanted to say it wasn’t hell they were going to, but it very well could have been. They didn’t know what was waiting for them down there. “Seems so. Come on, let’s go together. I know how to get out without having to slip past the guards.”

“Excellent, nurturing one. Lead the way,” Claudia said, her usual demeanour returning. That was a relief.

The two were silent as they made their way downstairs. It wasn’t awkward but more of a mutual understanding. They wouldn’t ask each other what had tempted them to leave their rooms in the middle of the night or what they wanted to achieve. Hana already had an idea of what was on Claudia’s piece of paper, but she wasn’t sure and she wasn’t going to risk worrying her further.

When they reached the window she and Sorin had used yesterday, Hana gently poked the glass. It swung open. No one had bothered to lock it from yesterday, most likely because no one knew it had been unlocked in the first place. It was either that or someone else had opened it themselves. Whether it was for their personal use or not remained to be seen.

Hana clambered over the window sill before helping Claudia. As bad as Hana was at everything physical, she took comfort (albeit with some guilt) that Claudia was worse. She had always had good hand-eye coordination, but never the physical strength, something she always seemed to be annoyed about.

They were halfway there when she grabbed Hana’s sleeve. “Do you hear that?”

Hana strained her ears, trying to listen for whatever Claudia heard. She considered going closer when she heard it: voices. They were faint and for a second she feared it was her father and Karin again, but then she heard what they were saying.

“If both of us are here, who else was called out?”

“We won’t know if we don’t go, you idiot! C’mon!”

It was Ryouma and Natsuhi. Knowing that she and Claudia wouldn’t be in trouble if they were found, Hana rounded the corner, catching the two of them as they were starting to walk away. They looked at her and Claudia with fear on their faces. They probably thought they had been caught and were now in trouble.

“Hana-chan, Claudia-chan…” Ryouma’s usual cheeky smirk was gone. “What are you doing out here?”

“The same thing as you, it sounds like,” Hana said. She took her slip of paper from her pocket, holding it between two fingers. “Don’t worry, we’re not going to tell anyone.”

The relief was clear on both of their faces. Natsuhi was the first to recover, her usual scowl returning to her features. “Well, let’s go already! We’re not going to get anything done by just standing here, are we?”

As they walked on, Hana couldn’t help but beat herself up. Natsuhi and Ryouma were both going through something she didn’t know about. Everyone had always looked up to her to solve their problems and she had gladly helped them. What had changed? Was she no longer reliable? The thought of being useless to those she loved made her sick to her stomach. Her family was one thing, but now her friends too?

And yet she continued to help. She made sure everyone flattened themselves against the wall as they neared the clearing. When she looked up, she didn’t see the guards and her heart skipped a beat. She tried to tell herself they were just on a break, that they would be back soon and that it was better if they weren’t there, but she was still concerned.

“Under here,” she whispered to the others, ducking under the stairs. She heard everyone follow her and she was glad they were all behind her. If anything happened, she would feel the brunt of the attack.

But there wasn’t any attack. The only thing different from the previous night was that the clearing was no longer empty. A figure stood with their back to them, turning around once they heard them come in. It was a woman, probably no older than their parents, her black hair in a neat bun on top of her head. She was wearing the castle’s maid uniform. So she _was_ a member of the staff. Hana had been right about that much at least.

“So, are you the person who called us here?” Natsuhi demanded. Hana wanted to warn her not to speak so forcefully, for all their sakes, but she didn’t. She didn’t dare say anything.

The woman smiled, but it didn’t seem to reach her eyes. Hana couldn’t be sure. It was too dark. “I’m glad you all met me here. I’ve seen all of you struggling and I want to help.”

“Okay, but how?” Ryouma asked. His voice shook a bit. “You’re a maid, right? I can’t imagine there’s anything you could do – in my case, anyway.”

The woman looked down at her attire as if surprised she was wearing a maid uniform. “Oh, right. I forgot I was still wearing this. Pardon me, but I’m not actually a maid here. That was a cover-up. My real name is Haneyama Ayaka, though my stage names are Aya or Aya-chan.”

Hana had heard that name before, but she couldn’t remember where. It was only when she thought of her stage names that she remembered. She was one of the members of a famous girl group from years ago. Hana had seen a few magazines in the library back on Jabberwock, many of them featuring the girls on the cover with interviews inside. Although she was no longer a teen, there was no doubt that this was the same person in front of them. Her nose, ears, and eyes gave her away.

“I-I do recognize you,” Hana said, forcing herself to keep her voice even. “You were a member of a girl group a while ago, right?”

Ayaka nodded. “That’s right. It was a long time ago, but I still have connections as well as life experience. I can help you with your problems.” She turned to Ryouma. “Let’s start with you, shall we?”

Ryouma gulped. “Me?”

“You fear the person you love most will die before he’s twenty, don’t you?” Ayaka continued, hardly noticing how scared he was. “There are ways to remedy that, of course. I know some of the best surgeons in the world. They can definitely help him. I guarantee it. But that leaves another problem, doesn’t it? If he does survive, there’s a chance that he won’t feel the same way, isn’t that right? You don’t have the guts to say anything, do you?”

Hana was confused for a second before she remembered. Eiichi’s heart condition guaranteed he would live a short life, but she didn’t know why Ryouma was so concerned. They all had a plan. They were going to replace Eiichi’s chest just like they had with Nekomaru, but they had to wait until he had completely grown physically. _Ah_ , that was it. It was possible he could die beforehand. She wanted to go over and hug Ryouma with all of her might, but she stood still.

Ryouma looked at the floor and Ayaka set her sights on Claudia. “And how about you, your Royal Highness? You are a princess and yet you can’t stand being in the public eye. You break down at the very thought of conducting an interview and so you hide behind your scarf and your ‘holier than thou’ façade. I used to be the same, you know. I was weak in front of the cameras without my stage persona. I can help you so you can stand with your family without fear.”

It was just as Hana had thought. Her heart clenched as she remembered Claudia sobbing into her father’s arms, too shaken up to face the cameras. When they were all children, Hana had assumed that she had admired her father’s old way of thinking, and while that was probably part of it, it wasn’t the entire story. Being on the island her whole life had caused her to lack social skills to the point where she broke down.

Claudia looked like she wanted to cry again, just like she had that night. She hid her face in her scarf and choked back a sob. It came out muffled, but everyone was able to hear it.

“And the Yakuza child over there,” Ayaka said. Natsuhi looked up, glaring at her as if challenging her to say something bad about her, but there was clearly fear in her eyes. “The Kuzuryuu Clan has been known throughout Japan and even the world for years, the children seen as absolute perfection. But you think you’re imperfect, don’t you? Having a crush on your best friend in the whole wide world, even though she’s a girl.”

Natsuhi didn’t look surprised, only angry. “How dare you! I –”

“You want to be fixed, right?” Ayaka interrupted, much to Natsuhi’s shock. “You want to make your family proud, uphold the traditions your grandparents, but you can’t do that when you’re feeling this way, can you? But I know how to fix it. I can help you. I can make you normal again.”

Ryouma was panicking even more than before. “Natsuhi-chan! Don’t listen to her!”

Natsuhi didn’t respond. She only looked at the ground, her whole body stiff.

Hana would have run over to her right then and there had Ayaka not turned to look at her. It was a slow movement, one that made her want the floor to open up and swallow her whole. “And you, Little Miss Photographer. You try so hard to be perfect, to protect everyone else, but you’re constantly failing. You have no idea what everyone else is going through and wish they would look to you for guidance, but how can you do that when you can’t even help yourself? Your sister is better than you and your father ignores you, so what can you do? But I know how to make you into the best person you can be. You have so much potential.”

It was with great difficulty that Hana managed to keep her emotions at bay. She had to be strong for the others, who were all emotional themselves and wouldn’t ask the questions that needed to be asked. “So what’s the catch? You don’t seem like the person who would help us without wanting something in return.”

Ayaka’s smile was almost kind. “I also need your help. You see, the other members of my idol group have been missing for years and I have no clue where they are. During the despair days they just vanished and I’m ninety-nine per cent sure we were all separated. I really, _really_ want – no, _need_ – to talk to your parents. Even if they don’t know anything that happened they might know someone who does.”

“…Okay, but quick question…” Natsuhi wiped her eyes and tried to glare. “Are you the person who set the ballroom on fire?”

Silence. Then Ayaka’s face turned apologetic. “Yes, and I apologize. I didn’t know what else to do to make sure everyone stayed in Novoselic. If all of you had left I would have lost my chance. I’m sorry for any and all of the trouble I’ve caused.” She dug into her apron pocket and took out a necklace. “Here’s proof that I’m being completely straight with you.”

The four of them exchanged looks of uncertainty before stepping forward one by one. They gathered around Ayaka, who let the necklace – a locket – slip into Claudia’s hands. Claudia opened it as Ayaka’s hands returned to her pocket.

“Huh? There’s a picture in here, but…”

Everything that happened next was a blur. It was like an out of body experience to Hana, almost as if she wasn’t really there, in a dream. But it was definitely real. The first thing she heard was the blood curdling shriek as Natsuhi held her neck and staggered backwards, falling to the floor.

“Natsuhi-chan!” Ryouma screamed, his voice echoing throughout the clearing. He spun towards Ayaka. “What the fuck did you do?!”

Ayaka grinned, her eyes devoid of all emotion. “You’ll see.”

Before any of them could ask what she meant, a groan was heard. They all turned back to Natsuhi, who was already beginning to wake up. If she hadn’t known any better, Hana would have thought she was just waking up from taking a nap, but she _did_ know better. Something was happening and none of them other than Ayaka knew what.

Natsuhi was silent as she stood up, rubbing her eyes and looking around until her eyes settled on them and she scowled. Her eyes were naturally red, but right now they seemed to be glowing somehow, almost as if she was possessed. Her lips moved into a sneer and that was when it happened.

She lunged.

Claudia screamed as she was tackled to the ground, Natsuhi on top of her, slapping her face. Hana watched for a few seconds, frozen in shock, before she sprang into action, running over to them and knocking Natsuhi over. She didn’t want to hurt any of them if she could help it, but it didn’t seem like she had a choice.

Ryouma ran over to Claudia as Hana grasped Natsuhi by the shoulders, staring her dead in the eyes. “Natsuhi-chan, what happened? What’s going on?”

It was no use. This wasn’t Natsuhi. Whoever this was only looked like her. They were turning her into a monster, something Hana knew she wouldn’t want. She was about to try again, try to call out for the Natsuhi she knew and beg for her to come back, but in the end she knew it was no use. Whatever was happening was out of her control and she hated that feeling.

‘Natsuhi’s’ hand clamped down on Hana’s throat and she struggled to breathe, squirming as she tried to move. She lifted her heads and kicked wildly. She couldn’t see where her feet landed, but she must have hit Natsuhi somewhere as she flew backwards, landing where she had fallen before.

Someone behind Hana clicked their teeth and she looked up, rubbing her throat. Ayaka was glaring at her, a syringe in her hand. Hana attempted to get up, but she was still weak from the lack of oxygen, so it was easy for Ayaka to hold her down by shoving her foot on her stomach. Bile rose to Hana’s throat and her head began to pound.

“Now, now, Hana-chan, be a good girl and stay still.”

Hana wanted to scream, but her voice wasn’t working. There was a stab of pain in her neck as the syringe was driven into her and she thrashed around, trying to shake it all off. Once the pain dulled she didn’t have time to feel relieved as her body began to warm up, every inch of her skin feeling like it was on fire. She wanted to jump in the pond back in the garden, let the waves from the beaches of Jabberwock wash over her, but that wasn’t an option.

The last thing she remembered was looking up into Ayaka’s cold, desolate eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'ALL THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE MONAKA, DIDN'T YOU?
> 
> For those confused, Ayaka is one of the members of Sayaka's idol group. I won't give too much away, but yeah, she was definitely an interesting character to write.
> 
> I also deeply apologize if anyone is upset about Natsuhi's situation and feelings. I promise that everything will all be solved.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath and lots of crying.

Hana felt like she had gone straight to hell and back. She was about to wonder if she was still there when she heard a voice from beside her.

“Awake, are we? About time.”

The tone was teasing, yet there was an underlying shake as if they were worried. It was a unique voice Hana had heard time and time again, so she didn’t need to open her eyes to see who it was.

“Aunt Hiyoko? I thought you were in China.”

She turned her head, not daring to move the rest of her body for the time being. She didn’t want to risk it. Hiyoko was sitting in a chair by her bed, a magazine open in her hands, but she wasn’t looking at it. She was looking at Hana instead, a teasing smirk playing on her lips.

“I was, but my tour ended yesterday. You’ve been unconscious for almost a week,” she said. “Your mother decided to call me yesterday instead of earlier so I wouldn’t worry, or something like that. I changed my flight to here instead of Jabberwock and here we are.

Hana hardly heard anything after ‘ _unconscious for almost a week_ ’. She sat upright, ignoring the pounding in her head. “A week? How’s everyone else? What happened? Are they all okay? Shouldn’t I be in a hospital or something if I was like this for a week? What happened to that Haneyama woman?”

Hiyoko rolled her eyes and held out her hand in a ‘stop’ gesture. “Geez, one question at a time. Yes, a week. Everyone else is relatively fine. I’m not the best person to ask what happened since I wasn’t there. Like I said already, everyone is relatively fine. The palace doesn’t have a hospital but we have a Tsumiki, so you were allowed to stay in your room for some fucking reason. Haneyama got away, I’m pretty sure.”

As much as she hated that Ayaka had escaped, Hana was relieved that everyone else sounded okay. “Alright. Good. Where’s everyone else?”

“I had to literally force your parents and Karin-chan to take a shower and get some fucking rest,” Hiyoko said, flipping through the magazine. “I mean, Mahiru and Karin-chan are fine, but I had to kick some serious balls to get your dad out of this seat. Apparently he wouldn’t leave unless it was to take a piss or shit.”

Hana didn’t care about Hiyoko’s crude words at this point. “…He was here?”

Hiyoko looked at her like she had grown a second head. “Well, obviously! Mahiru said he didn’t leave your side. Is that really a shock? I mean, you were knocked the fuck out for goodness sake!”

Hana remained silent. She had expected her mother to be like that, perhaps Karin, but never her father. He always seemed too absorbed in what he was doing to care. Then again, she had never been unconscious for almost a week before. That probably took a lot out of her family and she felt the guilt weigh down heavily on her shoulders.

“Hiyoko, I’m back – Hana!”

Hana looked at the doorway. Her father was standing there, bags under his eyes and his hair wet. He stood still for a few seconds before rushing in and pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. She could feel the tips of his hair on her shoulders and she shivered at the sudden dampness. It was the only thing to distract her from the fact that he was crying, weeping like a baby.

Hiyoko slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her as she muttered something about fathers and whining.

“D-Dad! Can I breathe, please?” Hana managed to choke out.

Kazuichi instantly let go of her, stumbling backwards into the chair Hiyoko had been sitting in. “Right, sorry! Are you okay? Do you need me to get your Aunt Mikan? Do you want some water?”

So this was how Hiyoko had felt when she had been rambling earlier. She cut him off by giving him a pointed look before saying, “Dad, I’m fine. I mean, I’m a bit sluggish, but I don’t need to be raced off to a hospital or something.”

Kazuichi’s shoulders dropped and he let out a whistle. “Good.”

The two sat in silence for a few minutes. Hana looked at her hands, the wall, the balcony, anywhere other than at her dad. She was very aware of what she had said the night she had met him and Karin in the garden. She hadn’t meant it, but she wasn’t entirely ready to apologize for it. Part of her was waiting for him to acknowledge it.

“Hana.”

She looked at him. He wasn’t looking at her even though his tears were now gone. She suspected it was because his eyes were still puffy. He scooted closer to the bed so his knees were touching the sheets. She didn’t move, continuing to stare at him.

“I’ve been a shitty dad. I’m so sorry.”

His voice broke and Hana’s resolve broke down. She didn’t know whether it was because she was tired or because she had never heard him sound so emotional, but it didn’t matter. She let the tears roll down her cheeks without a care, letting her father wrap his arms around her gently as she leaned into his chest. She needed to let it all out.

When she was able to speak again, she said, “And I’ve been a really shitty daughter.”

“No, no you haven’t,” Kazuichi insisted. “It’s not your fault. You were right to say all of those things. You were feeling horrible and I didn’t notice and I was supposed to _protect_ you and – and you are just as important as your sister. You and your mother and Karin are the most important people in the world to me. I’m just not good at expressing it. I guess I didn’t know how to approach you because we have different interests. It’s no excuse, but I’m… I’m _so_ sorry.”

She managed a small smile. “It’s fine, I swear. I shouldn’t have overreacted. It’s just that Karin is always so smart and I mean… I’m not a genius, but I’m _trying_.”

He bear-hugged her and said, “You don’t have to be a genius. And you don’t have to gain my approval, okay? You’re already perfect.”

She shouldn’t have been surprised that he knew about the note, but she was, just a little. “I know, but… I’m the one everyone comes to for advice and Claudia-chan, Ryouma-kun and Natsuhi-chan didn’t tell me anything. Do they just not trust me anymore?”

“To be fair, you didn’t tell anyone about your problems,” he said. “What was it that Karin said? Something about how you are always trying to solve others’ problems before worrying about your own. Is that why you never came and talked to me about it?”

She shrugged and looked down. “That’s probably part of it. I thought I was being selfish thinking that way, so I tried to ignore it. And I ended up taking it out on Karin as well.”

_Bang!_

The door swung open, hitting the wall with a loud noise. Karin stood in the hallway, hair messy and standing on end, looking frantic. When she saw Hana, she ran inside and hugged her, just as their dad had done earlier. She wasn’t crying, but she was shaking. Her nails dug into Hana’s back, but Hana didn’t care. The tears had already returned.

“Hana! I’m so sorry!” Karin said, loosening her grip but not letting her go. “I had no idea you were feeling like that.”

Hana shook her head. “Don’t apologize. I treated you really badly just because I was jealous. You didn’t deserve that.”

Karin wasn’t able to respond as Kazuichi grabbed both of them, one in each arm, and drew them into a hug. They all fell on the bed and rolled around laughing as Kazuichi pulled them together. All of Hana’s pain washed away as she felt Karin’s hair tickle her cheek and her father’s laughter vibrate against her arm. She felt like she was eight years old again.

“Well, this is a lovely sight.”

Kazuichi didn’t let go of the girls as he turned to his wife. Mahiru stood in the doorway, a small smile on her face. Her eyes were full of compassion and love, everything she stood for, at least in Hana’s eyes. Hana knew she would have taken a picture had she brought her camera with her.

With a grin, Kazuichi opened his arms. “C’mere. I need all my girls.”

Mahiru huffed, but the smile remained as she joined them, forming a circle. Karin was the first to act, jumping in and closing the gaps. Hana joined the hug next, letting her senses be filled with her mother’s perfume and her father’s oil stained jacket. It was as if they were back on the island, years ago when their mother used to cook apple pies in during the fall, all of them going for a picnic at the beach. She could almost smell the sea again.

It was Mahiru who broke the hug first. Her face was red from the warmth. “I promise to come back later, Hana. I promised Mikan-chan I’d take her some snacks.”

Karin stood as well, wiping the last tear from her eye. “I’m gonna go check in on Natsuhi-chan, so I’ll be back later as well, sis’!”

The two left, talking to themselves as they closed the door and drifted into the hallway. Hana let herself lean backwards, arms spread out as she gave a relieved sigh. One of them hit Kazuichi and he pretended to yelp before swinging his legs over so he was lying beside her.

He let the silence continue until he said, “You probably don’t remember this, but when you and Karin were little I always thought I was gonna be a really crappy dad. I mean, it was obvious in the way I acted. At least that’s what your mother always said.”

“I don’t remember,” Hana said. Her father had always been carefree and joyful when around the family, if not easily provoked at times.

“Well I was,” Kazuichi said, looking up at the ceiling. “There was this one time where it was the weekend. You were about four and Karin was about two. Karin had a fever so your mum took her to Tsumiki and left me alone to play with you. You wanted me to play make believe with you and you made me be the fairy king while you were the fairy princess. I didn’t really know what to do and my insecurities were showing. You noticed and asked me what was wrong and I told you about my problems. You seemed to understand and you just flashed me this bright smile.” He smiled fondly at the memory. “And you said, “Daddy doesn’t have to worry because my daddy is the best daddy!” Then you started having a hissy fit over how Sorin-kun had said his dad was the best and how he was completely wrong.”

Hana could only laugh. She didn’t remember that, but she was sure it was true. “Well I still think that ‘my daddy’s the best daddy’. Karin would agree with me. And so would mum. And I don’t really hate you. Of course I don’t.”

Kazuichi nudged her shoulder with his own. “I know.”

With that, the burden was completely lifted and Hana felt lighter. “Now that we’ve dealt with that…” Her expression became solemn. “What happened? The last thing I remember was that pop star injecting Natsuhi-chan with something, then she attacked Claudia-chan before attacking me. I think I was injected with the same thing. That’s all I know.”

“Alright, where to start…” Kazuichi tapped his tool belt, an old habit of his. “Well, we found out you guys were missing pretty quickly. Yours and Claudia-chan’s doors were unlocked, which was strange for you guys. Natsuhi-chan had promised Karin they would go for a midnight snack but never showed up and Komaeda was freaking out because Ryouma-kun wasn’t in his room. Then we found Ryouma-kun’s note and we raced down there.”

He swallowed and Hana started to fear what was coming. “Everyone but Claudia-chan was unconscious. I’m not sure what happened next. Peko-san went crazy on that Haneyama chick but she got away, Sonia-san was swearing, Komaeda was crying, but all I could see was you. You were just lying there, unconscious. I… I was scared. I couldn’t do anything.”

Hana decided not to push the matter any further. “Okay, but what were we injected with?”

“It was some kind of despair formula,” Kazuichi said. “I’m not too sure how it works, but apparently it sends signals to your brain and causes you to turn violent. Despair-like. No coherent words or anything.”

That explained Natsuhi’s actions. “Okay, but how are we fine now? And how do you know all this? Did Aunt Mikan scan us somehow?”

Kazuichi hesitated. “Well… Haneyama was supposed to have an accomplice. Apparently her goal was to get to us through you guys. During the despair days she had a friend at Hope’s Peak who died during the mutual killing before ours. She wanted revenge and tried to enlist this guy to help her, but he intended on betraying her from the start. He found us and gave us the antidote. That’s why you’re fine and how we know all of this crazy stuff.”

“An accomplice?” At first Hana thought it was one of Haneyama’s fellow group members, but it had been a male. “Who was it?”

“Ishimaru Takaaki. You wouldn’t know him. His son was in the same mutual killing as the pop star’s friend,” Kazuichi said, running a hand through his hair.

Hana scowled, both from the information and the realization that her father’s wet hair was soaking her sheets. “Wait, he doesn’t want revenge on you guys? I mean, that’s a good thing and all, but why would he want to help us?”

Whoever this Takaaki person was must have been a sore subject as Kazuichi seemed reluctant to say anything. “Well, other than his whole sense of justice thing he has going on, he’s… Well, he’s actually Peko-san’s biological father.”

Hana stared. “What?”

“Yeah, I know,” Kazuichi said with a chuckle. “It’s something we’ve known for a while, but we don’t see him that much. You know the story of how your Aunt Peko was accepted into the Kuzuryuu Clan because her family couldn’t take care of her, blah, blah, blah, right? Well, we found her dad. He’s kind of got a stick up his ass, but he cares and feels guilty. And Natsuhi-chan is his granddaughter, so of course he was going to protect her.”

Hana wondered why she had never heard of this before, but that wasn’t important at the moment. “Why did he wait so long? Why didn’t he come and help us before we were attacked?”

“He’s an old man,” Kazuichi said. “Well, around his late sixties or something like that. He wouldn’t have had the strength to hold off Haneyama. I think it’s a bullshit excuse, but whatever. I see where he’s coming from. The main point is that none of you were permanently hurt.”

No one was permanently hurt, but they were still hurt. Hana’s memories of Natsuhi’s attack resurfaced. What had she done in her despair-state? “Dad… What exactly did I do while injected with that thing?”

Kazuichi wouldn’t look her in the eyes. “According to Claudia-chan you, uh, you broke her arm, but other than that there wasn’t anything…”

Her stomach churned. Even if it hadn’t been her, even if she didn’t remember it, she had done something horrible to one of her closest friends. She was up in an instant, ignoring her father as she jumped over him. The door opened easily and she dashed into the hallway, slowing only when she reached Claudia’s door.

She could hear voices inside. Biting her lip, she hesitated. She didn’t want to intrude, especially when she had caused the younger girl so much pain. Claudia probably didn’t want to speak to her anymore, would probably ignore her for the rest of their lives. That was what stopped her from knocking on or opening the door.

Tears were once again clouding her vision – god, how many times was she going to freaking _cry_ – as the door opened. Titania was surprised to see her there, but concern soon washed over her and she flung her arms around Hana’s body.

“Hana-chan! You’re awake!” She sounded like she was crying.

Knowing she would cry if she tried to speak, Hana only let out a muffled, “Mhm” and left it at that.

“Hana’s awake?”

Titania let go as Sorin appeared in the doorway. He looked more dishevelled than usual, his hair all over the place and the bags under his eyes more prominent. Hana couldn’t tell why that was, considering Claudia hadn’t been unconscious or unresponsive, but she wasn’t in a position to judge. She continued to cry as he slowly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

She could barely hear his voice as he said, “Don’t fucking scare me like that.”

With one last sniffle, she pulled away slowly. “You guys don’t hate me?”

“Why would we hate you?” Titania asked. Hana looked at her. The sincerity was all over her face.

“Because… Claudia-chan…” Hana couldn’t look them in the eyes. She didn’t want to admit what she had done. They probably all knew by now, so there was no reason to keep it a secret.

Titania smiled and gently took her wrists. “Hana-chan, no one blames you for that. You weren’t yourself. We all know that you would never hurt any of us intentionally. None of us would ever hurt each other on purpose, especially not you. We all know that. Claudia even said she wanted to see you when you woke up.”

Hana blinked. “Is that so?” she said weakly. “Well, if that’s the case…”

Titania grinned and pulled her into the room, Sorin following behind them. Sonia and Gundam were both inside and Hana stopped breathing for a second as they both turned to look at her. She thought they would hate her after everything that had happened, but Sonia only stood up and hugged her tightly.

“Hana-chan! Are you feeling better? Shouldn’t you be in bed?” Sonia said, fussing over her.

“She should be,” came a voice from the doorway.

Hana sighed. “Dad.”

Kazuichi entered the room as Claudia giggled. Hana turned to look at her. Other than the cast on her arm and the light bruise on her cheek, she looked just as she normally did. At least she seemed to be in good spirits for someone in her position. She wasn’t even up to her neck in blankets, instead sitting cross-legged above them, Talon on her lap.

“Don’t go running off like that,” Kazuichi said. “You’ll go disturbing people.”

“I wonder where she gets that from,” Gundam said, a small smirk on his face.

“Oi.”

Ignoring them, Hana sat next to Claudia on the bed. “Uh… Are you okay? I mean… I’m so, _so_ sorry for what happened.”

Claudia only grinned. “Foolish plebeian! A mere tap on the arm cannot keep a dark goddess hindered for long! The depths of hell have been giving me strength. You are not indebted to me!”

Hana took that to mean she was forgiven and let out a sigh. “Thank goodness for that.”

Sonia quickly moved to the end of the bed, dragging Titania and Sorin with her. Kazuichi and Gundam were arguing in the background. It was probably over something petty, Hana knew. They were always like that.

“Now that everyone is awake and well, we may start preparing for the annual Halloween Festival!” Sonia said, a sparkle in her eyes.

Sorin frowned as Talon climbed onto his shoulder. “The what? Aren’t we going back to Jabberwock soon?”

Sonia’s face fell slightly. “Sadly, no. Your Aunt Hiyoko’s flight was the only one allowed within the vicinity. The country is currently on lockdown. Besides, I do not wish to leave my people when there is a criminal on the loose!” She cleared her throat. “But that does not mean we should not have fun! Oh, I can’t wait for all of you to see the Sherma’s dance and the tree to light with the thousands of lights!”

As she started listing off the traditions of Novoselic’s Halloween, Hana let herself lean back onto Claudia’s pillows. Sonia was right. They shouldn’t let one small thing get them down. It was time to have some fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will forever go down with the headcanon that Peko and Ishimaru are biological siblings, fIGHT ME.
> 
> We'll see how Natsuhi and Ryouma are doing, don't worry. And we'll also get to see more of Novoselic!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Titania is a love guru. Hana wishes she wasn't.

Everyone reunited at dinner that evening. It was the first time they had all been together in the large dining room, and it reminded Hana of the hotel dining hall back on Jabberwock. This room was fancier, lit only by candles, the windows overlooking the town countryside. It was a beautiful sight.

The Tanakas and Soudas went down there together when it was time. Teruteru was there already, restless from not being allowed in the kitchen. Mikan was beside him, cowering from Hiyoko who was making snide comments at her whenever the others weren’t listening. No one else had arrived at that point.

Ayuta and Eiichi entered the room with their parents soon after, both of them taking seats beside Claudia. Although they appeared as they usually did, Hana couldn’t help but notice Eiichi constantly glancing at the door as everyone chatted around him. She had her suspicions, but she only smiled to herself. She wasn’t going to say anything without an invitation.

The Hinatas were next, but Ryouma wasn’t with them. Hana frowned but didn’t have a chance to ask as Minato and Natsuhi walked in, the latter running up to her with a mixed look of joy and concern.

“Hana-chan! You’re awake!” Natsuhi said, stumbling into the chair beside her. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” Hana said, watching the butlers carry the food out. “After so much time spent sleeping it would be hard not to be, right?”

Natsuhi didn’t answer. She seemed to have something else on her mind, and it was confirmed when she asked, “Hey, um… You didn’t tell anyone about what was on my note, right?”

Hana shook her head. “Of course not. But didn’t the others find it?”

“They wouldn’t have,” Natsuhi said, watching the food pass from person to person. Her voice was quiet and a little shaken. “I destroyed it beforehand. Minato figured it out regardless and said it was okay, but it’s not really him I’m worried about. It’s mum and dad. And Karin.”

Hana waved her hand. “Trust me when I say that Karin is one of the last people you have to worry about when it comes to this.”

Natsuhi didn’t seem to understand what she was saying, nodding to herself as everyone else came flooding in, drawn by the smell of food. Or at least that was what the imposter said as he practically drooled all over his collar.

Dinner passed on as usual, much to Hana’s surprise. She had expected everyone to talk about what had happened, especially now that everyone was awake, but that wasn’t the case. They spoke of normal things, such as what they thought of Novoselic and how Hiyoko’s tour went. It was as if they were purposely avoiding the subject.

Before she could dwell on it for long, Sonia stood up, making everyone turn to look at her. “Now that we are all gathered here, I would like to speak to you about the preparations for Halloween! Well, here it’s known as the Night of Spirits and it’s a celebration that runs all day and all night on the thirty-first. I would love for all of you to partake in the festivities!”

“Festivities?” Hajime asked, turning his fork over and over in his hand. “You mean like traditions?”

They hadn’t really celebrated Halloween back on Jabberwock. Most of the time the adults were away for work, leaving the children to entertain themselves. They mostly watched some scary movies and left it at that, so it would be interesting to see what happened in a place different than their own. Hana was getting excited.

Sonia nodded eagerly. “Yes, traditions! On the Night of Spirits, Novoselic celebrates those who have passed on. We ask the deceased for guidance in many endeavours such as fortune and love. During the day everyone gets ready for the evening. There are the usual traditions, such as the costumes and the candy and the spooky décor, but there are also many other things.”

“And what do you want us to do?” Nagito asked. “We don’t know much about these traditions, so…”

With a bright smile, Sonia said, “That doesn’t matter! I can teach you. And all I want you to do is enjoy the celebration. Though if it’s alright with you, I would love Hiyoko-chan to perform! It is very rare for Novoselic to see a live performance from another country and I’m sure they would love it! Ah, providing you are up for it, of course. You _did_ just finish a tour.”

Hiyoko looked disgruntled by the idea, but Hana could see the sparkle in her eyes. “Sure, fine. Where am I gonna get my music from, though?”

Ibuki’s hand shot up only for the imposter to force it down. “No, you’re pregnant. No live performances until you give birth, remember?”

Before Ibuki could protest, Yuzuru’s timid voice echoed throughout the room. “Um, I could do it! I have my guitar, but um, a piano would probably be better for Aunt Hiyoko’s dancing, wouldn’t it?”

“Wonderful, Yuzuru-kun!” Sonia said. “As long as your parents are okay with it, then I see no problem. Um, what else… I would love quality photographs of the night and – oh! Perhaps Teruteru-san could cook up some wonderful traditional dishes? Not for everyone in the country of course, but as many as you wish.”

Mahiru lifted her camera strap. “I can do pictures. I planned on taking some anyway. I really need more of Novoselic at night.”

Teruteru had a much stronger reaction, draping himself over the table in a dramatic manner. “I’m finally being allowed in the kitchen?! You are in my debt, Sonia-sama!”

The rest of the dinner was filled with excitement over the holiday, but Hana was only paying attention to half of it. Her mind was elsewhere, particularly on the member of their group who was absent. She hadn’t seen Ryouma since they had been attacked, and while she knew he was fine physically, she was concerned for his mental state. It seemed like Eiichi knew what had been written on his note by the way he was scowling at his dessert. That was an issue that needed to be resolved.

As everyone started to leave the dining hall, Hana quickly intercepted Nagito and Hajime’s path, surprising them. “Um, sorry, but do you know where Ryouma-kun is?”

Nagito and Hajime looked at each other, a mutual understanding passing between them with only a few short glances before Hajime said, “Okay, we’ll tell you. If anyone can get through to him it’ll be you. Or Eiichi-kun, but, well… Anyway, he’s in the library. Good luck.”

With a small word of thanks, Hana bowed and ran out the door, slowing down only when she saw how many staff members were walking around. They all nodded and smiled at her as she passed but she was still cautious. She didn’t know who else would be lurking around the castle, but she didn’t want to find out.

The library was still as empty as before. Ryouma was sitting by a window talking to an older man. They were the only two inside and at first she was worried that the man would hurt him, but she was pleasantly surprised to see him laugh at the man’s words. She was relieved that he wasn’t as upset as she had anticipated.

He was the first to notice her. It pained her how his look of joy became one of nervousness as he avoided her eyes. “Hana-chan, what are you doing here?”

The man turned to face her and she was able to see him properly. He was a tall man, though part of that may have been because he was so skinny. He was pale and gaunt, dark circles under his eyes, but even so he held himself up high. His stern expression made her only a little anxious.

As she walked over, he spoke. “You must be Souda-san’s eldest daughter. I’m Ishimaru Takaaki.”

Ah, so this was the man who had given her the antidote. She bowed slightly. “Thank you for giving us the antidote. We probably wouldn’t have been cured if it wasn’t for you.”

To her surprise, his face relaxed, the wrinkles on his face flattening. “There is no need to thank me. I should have reached you before this all happened. I’m simply happy I was able to help.” He looked at his watch. It was rusty but still seemed to work. “Oh, dinner’s over. I should go see my… Peko-san.”

Hana and Ryouma both watched him leave, waiting until the door was securely shut once more before continuing. She didn’t wait before sitting beside Ryouma. He still wouldn’t look at her and she was beginning to miss his cheeky attitude. Hopefully she would be able to help it resurface.

“Ryouma-kun, are you okay?” Hana asked. “I know it’s a stupid question, but…”

“Then why ask it?” His voice was harsh and she flinched. He realized his mistake almost instantly, his scowl softening. “Sorry. I know you’re only looking out for me. How did you know I was in here? And more importantly, are _you_ okay? I mean, you must have only woken up recently, right? You ate dinner, right?”

She knew he was trying to deflect the question, but she could hear the sincerity regardless. “I’m fine, and I ate. We’re all going to prepare for Halloween. It’s a big thing here, apparently. It’s called the Night of Spirits. I knew you were here because your parents told me, and I know I’m not the only one worried about you.” She hesitated, not knowing whether to press further. “…Eiichi-kun kept looking at the doorway, even after everyone else had arrived. I think he’s been looking for you.”

Ryouma didn’t look surprised at the information. “I know he has. Every time he came to my room I’d pretend to be asleep and I made sure to go to places he would never find me. I’m not a reader, so… I figured he wouldn’t come looking for me here.”

“Why avoid him?” Hana asked before it dawned on her. “Wait, did he see your note?”

He nodded. “He did. My parents told me. It’s not that I’m scared of what they or anyone else thinks. It’s just that I’m afraid of rejection and…” He started to tear up. “What if he dies?”

Hana put her arm around him and drew him close. “He’s not going to die, okay? We have a plan. The parents have had it for years. They know what they’re doing. As for being afraid of rejection, well, I think the Night of Spirits can help with that.”

Ryouma wiped his tears before they could fall. “What? How?”

Hana stood up and started to look around the library. “Let me see if I can find a book on it. It’ll be easier if I have an explanation in front of me.”

It was a bit difficult since the organization system was slightly different in Novoselic compared to Jabberwock, but it was still relatively easy to find the information. There was a whole wall of books on Novoselic, separated into subjects such as history, flora, fauna – all the way until traditions at the very end of the wall.

The biggest book on the Night of Spirit’s was heavy, but she managed to lift it and carry it all the way to Ryouma’s table. She sat beside him as she flipped through it, making sure not to damage the spine or the cover. They were old and worn and needed to be protected.

As she turned the pages, Ryouma stared, wide-eyed. “Whoa, I didn’t know Novoselic took Halloween so seriously.”

“They do, apparently,” Hana said as she arrived on the page she was looking for. “Here we are. _The Spirits’ Guidance_. It’s how you pray to the deceased and ask them for luck in various areas. Let’s see… Love, love…” She skimmed the page with her finger. “Oh, here it is. _‘Love is a common subject for Novoselic citizens to pray for on the Night of Spirits. A tree is chosen each year to be the bearer of love, meaning the citizens may pray around this tree for luck in their love lives. If they are feeling especially ambitious, they may write the name of their beloved on a piece of paper and attach it to a branch of the tree. Legend says that if you do so, your beloved will be drawn to the tree. If they see their name, the couple are destined to be together forever._ ’”

Ryouma still didn’t seem at ease. “So you think I should stick Eiichi-kun’s name on the tree?”

“If you want to,” Hana said, closing the book. “I think you should pray near the tree at the very least. The name and paper thing is completely up to you.”

He leaned his chin against his palm, staring at the other side of the room. “I think that would be a good idea, actually. Thanks, Hana-chan. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

She noticed his small smile and the spring in his step as he walked out the door and felt satisfied. While she couldn’t solve the problem quickly, she could send a nudge in the right direction. That was enough for her.

Her eyes drifted back to the page, re-reading the words. She knew Titania would definitely put Minato’s name on the tree, and it was very possible that Natsuhi would do the same with Karin, maybe even vice-versa. Their parents probably wouldn’t need to do pray for love, so that meant they wouldn’t be hovering around the tree. Hopefully. She didn’t want any of them to intervene.

“The love tree, huh?”

Hana jumped in her seat, hitting her elbow against the desk. She hadn’t heard Sorin come in and she cursed how quiet he could be. He snickered at her as she glared, taking a seat beside her and slowly sliding the book over to his side.

“I was showing it to Ryouma-kun ‘cause, well, he needed a bit of help,” she explained, all the while wondering why she felt so self-conscious.

“So it’s not for yourself?” he asked, gaze not leaving the page. “Tsk, tsk, almost eighteen and not having someone to love. That’s a little sad, isn’t it?”

Her hands balled into fists but they didn’t leave the table’s surface. “What? And you do?”

His eyes softened and there was a light pink to his cheeks as he said quietly, “Yes, I do.”

That surprised her. She wondered how she hadn’t noticed, and furthermore why he hadn’t consulted her about it. Then again, he was probably the only person from their small group that _didn’t_ ask for her advice on an issue, no matter what it was. He had always been so distant towards her and the others and she never knew what he was thinking. Even so, the fact that she didn’t know made her stomach flare, more so than when she found out the others hadn’t told her their problems.

She couldn’t look at him as she asked, “So you’re going to do the tree thing?”

“What’s it to you?” Everyone appeared to be harsh on her today, but unlike Ryouma his eyes didn’t waver. “It’s not really any of your business, is it?”

The ill feeling in her stomach worsened as she took on the defensive. “Well, you’re the one who brought it up! Besides, why wouldn’t it be my business? I’m your friend.”

The last few words were softer than the rest. It had been an attempt at reassurance, a message to him saying he could tell her anything, but it didn’t have the desired effect. His nose scrunched and his brow furrowed.

“We’re not _friends_.”

They were only three words, but they cut through her like a knife. Maybe she would have believed it while they were back on Jabberwock and he was being anti-social, but after the ball and their investigation and the way he hugged her earlier when he saw she was alright she had thought they were beginning to get along. She hadn’t thought once about his attitude their entire time in Novoselic, at least not in a bad light.

What had she done? Was it because she had broken Claudia’s arm? Was it because she had accidentally revealed him as her investigation accomplice? Or did he just not think of her as a worthy friend and confidant? Her throat became dry at the last one. She desperately hoped that wasn’t the case.

He started to say something else, but she didn’t want to listen. She didn’t want to hear about how she had failed. Looking down, she said, “Whatever I did, I’m sorry.”

She walked briskly to the door, part of her hoping that he would call her back for whatever reason, but he didn’t. She made a point of slamming the door behind her before running down the staircase and into the busy hallway. It was only then that she wiped her eyes. She didn’t want anyone to see her ready to cry, especially when they all had other things to worry about.

Ignoring the staff around her, she rushed to her room. She smiled briefly a few times here and there, just to make sure no one was suspicious, but most of the time she kept her head down. The staff weren’t nosy. They had jobs to do.

She was almost to her room when she saw Titania and Minato. Both of them were staring out one of the hallway’s windows, Titania pointing at something below. She tried to move around them without being noticed, but Minato sensed her there. It was a special skill of his.

“Hana-chan, are you alright?” he asked, gaining Titania’s attention as well.

The two walked over to her. She tried to speak, say she was fine, but all that came out was, “Am I a horrible friend?”

Titania looked horrified at the mere thought. “No! You are the best friend any of us could ever have. You always listen to our problems and put us before yourself even though you’re in a time in your life where you shouldn’t. You’re too kind to us. You’re an amazing person.”

“Who said you weren’t?” Minato asked. His voice was calm, but one hand was already on his sword sheath.

Hana stole a quick glance at Sorin’s door. It was very brief, but Titania noticed it. “So it was Sorin?”

She only nodded.

“Ignore him,” Titania said. “Sorin isn’t good with expressing his emotions. He cares a lot for all of us, and he’s been showing it a lot more ever since we’ve been here, especially after everything that’s happened. There are still times where he says the wrong thing. He really cares, I promise.”

Hana wanted to believe it, she really did, but she just couldn’t be sure. She didn’t say anything as Titania and Minato exchanged glances. It was just as Nagito and Hajime had before, something passing between them that would be impossible with any other person. Minato nodded and, with one last pat on Hana’s shoulder, walked to the stairs.

“Come on, Hana-chan,” Titania said softly, holding out her arm. “Let’s talk in my room, okay?”

Titania’s room was only slightly fancier than Hana’s own. It smelled like her perfume and had an even better view of the gardens below, but other than that it seemed the same. With time and effort, Titania would be able to make it fancier and even more wonderful to live in. She had a magical touch when it came to interior design.

Hana was led to the bed. Titania sat beside her, one arm around her shoulders. “So tell me exactly what happened, since it’ll be easier to help if I know, okay?”

Swallowing the sick feeling down, Hana started. “Well, I was in the library. I’d just finished helping Ryouma-kun with something and Sorin came in. I had a book about the Night of Spirits open and he made a comment about the love tree prayer thing. Then he said it was sad that I was almost eighteen and I haven’t had a crush on someone – which isn’t true, by the way, since I’m sure you remember the disaster with that Togami kid when I was nine – and I got a bit defensive. I asked him if he had someone and he said yes and I asked if he was going to do the tree thing with the name and the paper and he got really angry, saying it was none of my business. Then I asked why, since I thought we were friends, and then he just said he wasn’t my friend in this really dark and firm tone.” Her voice rose higher and higher until the end. She couldn’t go any higher.

Titania sighed. “That idiot… I understand why you’re upset, but why are you acting different from usual? That’s what I want you to ask yourself.”

“What do you mean ‘different from usual’?” Hana asked, lifting her head.

Titania moved to the vanity table in the room before facing her. “Usually when one of us would say we weren’t friends, usually during a fight, you would defend yourself and argue. You’re stubborn like that. It’s been the same since we were young. Why did that suddenly change now? How are you feeling? What happens when you think about what happened?”

Hana was confused. She didn’t understand, not really, but there were definitely differences. “Well, when he said that I started feeling sick and I wanted to cry. It’s like my usual emotions, but tenfold, if that makes any sense.” She scowled, trying to think even harder. Titania probably needed more information. “I actually started to feel a bit sick when he said he had someone he liked, probably because he didn’t tell me.”

When she looked up, Titania was wearing a knowing smile. “I don’t think it’s just because he didn’t tell you, Hana-chan.” She kneeled down in front of her, like a mother would to a young child. “Let me tell you a story. Do you remember the time I first told you I liked Minato-kun?”

“How could I forget?” Hana said with a short laugh. “You two were twelve and thirteen or something and you just came bounding up to me one afternoon all jittery. You said you needed to tell someone how you were feeling before you exploded. Why do you ask?”

Titania looked her dead in the eyes. “At the time I was feeling sick, like butterflies were flying around in my stomach. And after that? I was always sensitive to what Minato-kun said. I cared about his opinions more than anyone else, and sometimes I still do. No, I definitely still do. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

It took a few seconds, but then it came crashing down all at once. Hana tugged on the ends of her hair with a groan. “No, no, _no_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems the S.S. Sorana has encountered an obstacle. Please sit tight, passengers.
> 
> Hopefully my updates will continue to be fast. DR:AE comes out in my country tomorrow so I'll be playing that a whole bunch.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuichi is surprisingly helpful and the Night of the Spirits begins.

Hana decided that she hated being in love.

Everything up until now made sense. She was harder on Sorin than anyone else, watching him more than she watched the others. She would have preferred to live her life in ignorance. Titania was no help afterwards, of course, saying that she should resolve the matter with Sorin himself. That seemed impossible to her. He didn’t even consider her a friend, let alone more.

And so it was with great difficulty that she pressed on throughout the week. The preparations for the Night of Spirits thankfully kept everyone busy, so she didn’t see him much. There were times where he would pass by her, looking like he wanted to say something, but she usually kept her head down and soldiered forward. She didn’t dare look back.

It was the day before the celebration that he finally managed to corner her. She had been in the garden, taking a break from everything by the pond when he sat beside her. As always, he had been quiet, and so she hadn’t noticed him until she felt his knee touch hers.

“Hana…”

She didn’t want to hear him say her name like that. It was too earnest, too painful. “For someone who isn’t my friend, you sure are colloquial.”

He paused. “Souda-san.”

That wasn’t any better. She wanted him to revert back to ‘Hana’, but she didn’t comment any further. “What do you want?”

“I want to apologize,” he said, sounding like he had waited years to say that one sentence.

Even so, that wasn’t enough for her. “Apologize for what?”

She could sense his temper flaring beside her, his attempts to calm it down waning. “You know damn well for what! I mean, we were both there. There’s no use in dragging it out and reopening old wounds, okay?”

“It’s fine,” she said, dismissing everything he said with a simple wave of her hand. “You were just stating the facts. It may not be what I wanted to hear, but I’ll have to get over it, won’t I?”

She stood and he started to panic. “Wait! I didn’t mean what I said.”

He tugged on her sleeve and she turned around, staring him down. “So we _are_ friends? In that case, why say we aren’t?”

With a harsh yank, she pulled herself from his grip and walked away. Part of it was because she wanted to make a point. The other part was because she wouldn’t be able to continue the conversation without crying. She made sure she was long out of sight before leaning on a pillar and breaking down. Her tears were soft and silent, but they were there all the same.

“Why did I have to fall in love with him?” she asked herself, kicking the pillar.

“Fall in love with who?”

She didn’t bother to wipe away her tears as she spun around. Her father was standing behind her, his look of shock changing to one of anger when he saw her crying face. He moved closer and wiped her eyes for her. The action was a little forceful, but welcome nonetheless.

“Who the hell made my daughter cry?” Kazuichi said, standing upright again. “Does he need to be dealt with? Was it one of those Novoselic boys? I’ve heard they can be very flirtatious.”

Hana rolled her eyes, but she was happy her father was there. Mostly. If she told him, he knew he probably wouldn’t be happy. He was protective of both her and Karin when it came to subjects like love and dating, so telling him would definitely be a risk, but she supposed it wouldn’t hurt too much. Besides, part of her wanted to follow through on the threats he was making.

“Dad, it’s not one of them, okay?” she said with a small smile. “Look, I’ll tell you, but not here. Let’s go somewhere else.”

Without waiting for his reply, she grabbed his hand and dragged him down the hallway. There were various rooms they could hold a private conversation, the nearest one being a small lounge with no windows and an already burning fireplace. She sat on one of the couches and tugged him so he was sitting next to her.

He didn’t hesitate for a second. “Okay, so who is it?”

She had promised to tell him, she knew that, but now that she actually had to say something she was reluctant. And yet there was no getting around it. “Sorin.”

Kazuichi was expressionless for a moment before he sank into the sofa with a big sigh. “It _would_ be Tanaka’s kid, wouldn’t it?”

“Well, _sorry_. I don’t really have control over who I like, okay?” She fidgeted a little, fingers interlocking before looking back at him. “You’re not actually going to hurt him, right? I mean, everything’s fine. It’s not like he actually knows I like him or whatever. And just because someone makes you cry doesn’t mean they’re a bad person.”

His smile was surprisingly kind. “I know. Even if I said otherwise, it’d be the pot calling the kettle black, or whatever that sayin’ is. I’m honestly ashamed of how many times I made your mother upset or angry when we were younger. I get it.”

She returned the smile. “Good. I appreciate the support, though. But you’re my dad, so you have to do this stuff.” The smile faltered for a second. “Whenever you upset mum or vice versa, what did you do? And how did you two get together in the first place?”

Kazuichi seemed to think quite a bit about the question before answering. “We’d always end up apologizing to each other in the end, no matter what. And that was after spending only a short time together. You and Sorin-kun have known each other your whole lives. It’ll be fine. As for me and your mum getting together, well, it just kind of happened. There was a near-death experience to push us forward, though.”

Hana sighed. “I’ve already had two of those. Those aren’t going to work for me.”

“How about the tree tradition? The one for love?” he suggested. “I mean, Sonia-san says it works, so it’s worth a shot.”

She leaned in, analysing his face with narrowed eyes. “Why are you helping? Aren’t you usually super overprotective over Karin and me?”

He laughed nervously. “Well, your mother and I had a little talk earlier. She said that both of you, you in particular since you’ll be eighteen next week, should be allowed to do what you want in terms of dating and stuff. As long as you don’t hide it from us, you know?”

“Really?” She hardly believed it. “Wow, I thought I’d have to wait until I was your age to date or something with the way you kept going on about it.”

He grinned and gave her a one-armed hug before standing up. “It comes with the condition that you don’t go sneaking behind our backs, alright? We don’t need any more secrets.”

She nodded as he walked out the door. “No, no we don’t.”

 

* * *

 

The following evening, Hana was definitely nervous. She had decided to go through with the tree plan but had kept it a secret from everyone else. The note was safely tucked away in her photography bag as she and the other girls prepared themselves for the evening’s festivities in Titania’s room. Her eyes continued to be drawn to it and she hoped no one opened it. Just because Titania and her father knew didn’t mean she wanted everyone else to find out.

And yet the subject was brought up anyway when Titania whispered to her, “So, are you going to do anything about this Sorin situation tonight?”

Hana gave her a look, taking a break from applying her eyeliner (how did Titania and Natsuhi do this on a regular basis?). “And if I am?”

Titania started to squeal, but Hana quickly covered her mouth. “Shush! And what about you and Minato-kun?”

“Of course I’m going to do something about it,” Titania said once she was free to speak again. She sighed dreamily and spun around, her queen of the fairies costume billowing around her. “The customs of Novoselic are absolute! What if he sees it and returns my feelings? Oh, I can’t wait!”

Hana wanted to say that there was no ‘if’ about him returning her feelings, but she figured that could wait. She had her own love problems do deal with. Instead she said, “At least you and Minato-kun are friends.”

Titania returned from her dreamland to give her a pitying look. “Hey, you know Sorin didn’t mean it. He’s really upset about it, actually. If you could talk to him during the festival, that would be really, really good. You two need to make up.”

Hana didn’t say anything. Titania was right, of course. She always was when it came to these things. Instead, she continued working on her moon fairy costume, making sure her dark eyeliner perfectly matched the accent of her wings. It was hard when her hand was shaking so much.

Their group had all decided on a fairy theme, an idea both Titania and Natsuhi had come up with. Titania was their queen while everyone else was a certain kind of fairy. It sounded childish, especially with the way Natsuhi had initially explained it, but with the help of the castle staff they had managed it. Even the boys were dressing up with a fantasy-like theme.

“I’m a flower fairy!” Seiya said, jumping up and down on Titania’s bed. She was sparkling, having gone overboard with the body glitter.

Karin, the resident nature fairy, quickly grabbed her, some of the glitter rubbing onto her own arm. “You sure are! How about you show your daddies your costume, yeah?”

Seiya leaped from her arms. “Okay! I’ll see you when I get back! Then we’ll go and get lots of candy!”

The group laughed as she ran out the door, her wings slightly crooked. The door was about to swing shut when a hand stopped it centimetres from the wall. It was Minato, looking like he had slayed the fairy king himself and dressed himself with the spoils. It appeared even the costume department knew what was happening between him and Titania as they were a matching pair.

“Hey, uh, everyone decent?” he asked, looking at the floor.

Titania giggled and opened the door wider. “Everyone’s almost ready. Do you need something?”

Minato looked her up and down, mouth slightly ajar. Hana snickered. “I’m just here to say that we’ll be leaving now, so don’t wait up for us, okay? See you later.”

With one last look at Titania, he briskly walked away. She looked pleased with herself as she shut the door, but she didn’t say anything to anyone as the room’s liveliness picked up again, only humming to herself as she touched her face up in the mirror. Hana watched her for a second before returning to the task at hand. There was no need to disturb her when she was so happy.

It was a good twenty minutes before they were all properly ready. Seiya had joined the group once more and everyone had all of their belongings. It was time to throw themselves into the fray.

“The festivities are always held in the nearby town,” Titania said as she led everyone downstairs. “It’s by the coast and there’s a lot of forest surrounding it. I may not have seen it in person, but in the pictures it looks absolutely stunning!”

Claudia dawdled at the back. “Um, how many people are going to be down there, exactly?”

Titania only smiled, stopping to gently take her sister’s hand and lead her forward. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll be with you. And even if I’m not with you all the time, dad will surely look after you, so there’s no need to worry.”

Claudia’s shoulders relaxed. It was a small action, one that could easily go unnoticed, but Hana was more conscious of her anxiety than most. She had witnessed how tense she had been before. At least now she had a support system around her, one that would never crumble no matter how much they were challenged. That was how everyone from the island worked. They all clicked together, forming an unbreakable fence.

“When’s Aunt Hiyoko dancing?” Natsuhi asked as they stepped over the main entrance’s threshold. “I need to go and watch! I wish I could join her. I’m not up to par yet.”

Karin put her hand on Natsuhi’s shoulder. The latter tensed a little, but once again, Hana was probably the only one who noticed. “Are you kidding? You practice your dancing every single day. Sooner or later you’re going to be just as good as Aunt Hiyoko!”

“I doubt that,” Natsuhi said, but she looked like she was trying not to smile.

It was easy to find the town. Everyone was heading in that direction, so all they had to do was follow. They heard the music (Celtic, if Hana had to slap a genre on it) before they arrived at the entrance, but once they did, there was no mistaking the place. Jack-o-lanterns surrounded the path, flaming torches on both sides of the gates. Even though it was spooky, it was still beautiful.

The town itself was lit with proper lanterns, warm colours spreading across the cobblestone streets. There were stalls selling hand-made accessories, the attendants wearing costumes themselves, all of them varying from the traditional ghosts and vampires to the crazy and colourful anime characters. Over half of Novoselic seemed to be cosplaying.

“Ah, there’s the tree!” Titania said, pointing overhead. In the distance, they could see the tree stick out among the buildings. It reminded Hana of old photographs of Tokyo at Christmas where the Christmas tree would stand above everything else. “Come on, Hana-chan!”

Titania clutched her arm tightly and she jerked forward. “Wait, why me?!”

“Why do you think?” Titania said, turning back to her. There was a glint in her eyes and Hana suddenly felt like running away. “Come on! Let’s go! Anyone else feel like coming?”

Natsuhi shuffled her feet, not looking anyone in the eye. “The stage is over that way, right? That’s where Aunt Hiyoko is performing, so I’ll come with you that far.”

“I’ll catch up with you in a bit!” Karin said, oblivious to Natsuhi’s discomfort. It probably had something to do with Seiya sitting on her shoulders, distracting her by poking her forehead. “I’m going to deliver Seiya-chan to her brothers and come back, okay?”

Claudia also didn’t seem too comfortable, but she was reacting much better than at the ball. She was growing, even if it was at a slow pace. “I shall travel with Karin-chan and Seiya-chan. I must challenge the Nidais to another battle at the haunted house.”

And just like that, they split into two groups. Hana enjoyed the walk to the tree as much as she could, purposely slowing down to take in the sights. She tried to tell herself that was the only reason, that she wasn’t terrified of hanging her piece of paper on the tree, but she couldn’t. That would be a lie. Part of her hoped that Sorin had already been to the tree or that he didn’t plan on going at all. Then her feelings would remain between her and those she had confided in.

The stage was right beside the tree, but Natsuhi didn’t stop near it. Hana wasn’t surprised. She had expected Natsuhi to follow them all the way to the tree, and her assumptions were confirmed when she took a small piece of paper out from her bra, nervously clutching it in her hands.

“Natsuhi-chan, you plan on participating in the love tradition as well?” Titania asked as they neared the tree. There was no reason for her to hide her own slip of paper. Everyone knew whose name was on it.

Natsuhi flushed. “S-So what? I’m allowed to like people, aren’t I?”

Titania grinned. “Of course, of course! I’m just excited. To participate in a Novoselic tradition such as this! Ah, it’s far too much for my heart.”

“Don’t go dying on us,” Natsuhi said. She was smirking, but her face was still a little pink. “Whatever, I’m gonna go and settle this.”

She wandered around to the other side of the tree, disappearing from sight. This left only Titania and Hana herself, the latter sweating as she gripped her paper with tight hands. Even though Titania already knew, she was nervous. She didn’t know who else would walk around the tree. Her hand-writing would be recognizable for those who knew her.

As if sensing her distress, Titania tried to reassure her. “Don’t worry, Hana-chan. No one is going to judge you, and it’s unlikely that anyone will even read it. Even I’m a little nervous, but there’s nothing to worry about!”

With one last smile, Titania disappeared around the other side of the tree, slipping among the crowd. Even though she was shorter than many of the grown citizens of Novoselic, she stood out. It was clear that she was a princess.

Hana took a deep breath before walking closer to the tree. Her legs shook, but she ignored it, distracting herself by looking at the other pieces of paper. They were all written in English, some with hearts drawn beside the names, others with messages underneath. She could only gather bits and pieces, but they all seemed sweet. She hoped everyone found their true love.

Instead of finding a spot near the front, she ducked under the branches and moved closer to the trunk. There were still papers around, but nowhere near as many as there had been before. Finding a small branch, she pushed her piece of paper onto it, creating a small hole near the top. It was fine not to use any tape. The breeze didn’t reach underneath the tree, only affecting the outside branches.

Once she was sure her paper was safe, she breathed a sigh of relief and turned around only to stop in her tracks.

She had seen many pieces of paper on her way to find the perfect spot. All of them had been in English, understandably, and that was the first reason why this one stood out. It was written in kanji. The second reason was _what_ was written.

_Hana_.

It was definitely her name. It was the correct kanji. Her eyes travelled to what was written below. It was a small message, but it was clear.

_Please understand what I meant when I said we weren’t friends. You’re much more than a mere friend._

Her heart leaped out of her chest. She felt like crying, though she didn’t know why. Was it happiness because her feelings appeared to be returned? Or was it because she had completely misunderstood what Sorin had said, not giving him a single chance to explain? Only one thing was clear.

She had to find him.

Dashing out from underneath the tree, she almost bumped into Karin, who jumped back with wide eyes. “Whoa, sis’, where’re you going in such a rush?”

Hana gripped her shoulders. “Karin, you took Seiya-chan to the boys, right? Was Sorin with them? Or did they say where he was?”

“Uh, they said he chased some animal into the forest, the one closer to the cliff,” Karin said, obviously puzzled. “Why do you ask?”

Hana didn’t answer. She was already sprinting towards the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooo there.
> 
> I finished DR:AE so I'm back to my regular schedule (mostly). It was a pretty good game, even though Monaka is a spawn of satan. Since I referenced some moments and plotlines from that game in Consciousness, I now know there are a few things I could have done better, but I'm still pretty happy.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: more needles.
> 
> Almost, but not quite.

The forest was denser than Hana had anticipated, but that didn’t stop her. She weaved through the trees, eyes searching for anything that wasn’t grass or trees, preferably Sorin, or even Talon. If she found one she would find the other, and she wasn’t going to give up hope. Even if he wasn’t there, he had to be around somewhere, whether it was in town or back at the castle. She would find him eventually.

She was about to run head-first into a clearing when she heard the voice.

“Here, girl. I won’t hurt you, I promise.”

Sorin’s voice was rarely that gentle. It was a tone he reserved for animals, so she had never heard it unless he was speaking to Talon directly. Sure, there were occasions where he was soft with others, but they were few and far between. Whenever she heard him speak so gently, she would always stop to listen, savouring the time before he turned back into his usual grumpy self.

Hiding behind a tree, she peered into the clearing. There was Sorin, a small ball of fluff in his hand. It wasn’t Talon, its fur streaked with orange and white, the cat himself nowhere to be seen. Another animal with the same orange and white fur was on top of a rock, its yellow eyes avoiding Sorin’s gaze. A waterfall was behind it, the water gushing down into a small lake below. Hana would have taken a picture had she not been so focused on Sorin.

Sorin took a step towards the rock. The animal backed away, but it – no, _she_ – didn’t seem to be scared. It was a gesture of defiance, as if the animal was telling him that he wasn’t worthy of touching her. If she had been a human, Sorin would have become angry and said she wasn’t worth his time, but this was different. His patience was unwavering when it came to animals.

Hana continued to watch, blinking in surprise when the animal turned her head and scampered towards her. While she was fairly decent with animals, she usually had to work for their attention, using the techniques Sorin had (reluctantly) taught her as a child. This time she had not only managed to make it come to her, but she had beaten Sorin.

The animal looked up at her and bounced around her feet. She could now see that while it was small, it had a shape similar to a monkey with a bushy tail. She was so busy inspecting it that she hardly noticed Sorin approach her.

“Hana – I mean, Souda-san.”

His voice sounded so uncertain. It pained her. “Please… Please just call me Hana again. Please.”

If Sorin was happy about this, he didn’t show it. “Hana it is then.” His eyes drifted to the animal below them. “Are you going to pick her up? She seems to like you.”

Hana paused before crouching down and scooping the animal up in her palms. “What is it – she?”

Sorin didn’t look her in the eye as he said, “These guys are Makangos. I’d never seen one in real life before, so I just had to follow them into the forest. It doesn’t surprise me that she’s more comfortable with you, though. Makangos like humans that share their gender. It’s part of the reason the whole love tradition exists with the species.”

Hana froze at the words ‘love tradition’. She had almost forgotten why she had looked for him in the first place. The message he had left flashed in her mind and she almost dropped the Makango.

When she didn’t say anything, he spoke up. “So… Why are you here?”

“I… I was looking for you, actually,” she said, stepping around and behind him. If she was going to have this conversation, she was going to sit down. She sat beneath the closest tree to the waterfall, watching the water as it glistened in the moonlight.

Sorin sat beside her before speaking again. “And why is that?”

Letting her Makango back on the grass, Hana answered, “I wanted to apologize. I just assumed I knew what you meant when you said we weren’t friends. I never actually asked you what you meant. That was my fault. I’m sorry.”

She could feel his gaze on her, but she didn’t dare look at him. “It’s fine. I mean, at least you don’t hate me. And we _are_ friends.”

He sounded nonchalant and she couldn’t help but wonder how much of it was sincere, if any. She knew that this was the perfect time to ask about the note on the tree, and so she opened her mouth.

“Um –”

“Ryouma-kun! Come back here! Please!”

On instinct, Hana stood up. The two Makangos hurried away as Sorin followed suit. Footsteps could be heard heading their way and she started to panic. It wasn’t because she was doing anything wrong or compromising, but because she had a feeling of what was happening. That voice had been Eiichi’s, after all.

“Hana, what’s wrong?” Sorin’s voice was urgent.

She fiddled with her dress. “I think we should hide. Not for our sakes, but for theirs. Ryouma-kun and Eiichi-kun need to have a talk, and I think if we’re still here when they arrive Ryouma-kun will try and use us as scapegoats. That’s what I think, anyway.”

“Then the question is where to hide?” Sorin said, looking around. He stopped when he was facing the waterfall, grabbing Hana’s hand and pulling her towards the water.

At first she thought he intended to push her in, but then she saw the rocks near the edge of the clearing. Some of them were dangerously close to the water’s edge, but most of them were out of its reach. They ducked behind the largest ones, making themselves as small as possible by huddling together. She held her breath.

The footsteps became louder until they stopped entirely. Ryouma’s voice echoed as he said, “Quit following me! You’re gonna hurt yourself.”

“Then stop running!” Eiichi wasn’t as breathless as Ryouma, which made sense considering the Nidai family’s athletic genes. “Please stop! You’ve been avoiding me for so long!”

“I… No, I haven’t,” Ryouma said.

Hana didn’t have to look to know Eiichi didn’t believe him. “That’s crap and you know it, okay? What exactly do you think I’m going to do? I don’t hate you. Of course I don’t hate you. I’m just worried about you.”

There was a pause. “Worried? About me?”

“Of course! Because of me you were – I mean, you almost died because you were worried about me,” Eiichi said. Hana felt herself tear up. Eiichi was always more concerned about others than himself and he hated it when people focused on his illness.

“I don’t care about that now!” Ryouma yelled. A few birds were startled, squawking and flying off into the night. “Now everyone knows and I’m humiliated and I put you in a position that you don’t want to be in and – and – _ugh_.”

Hana wanted to hug both of them, help them, but she knew she would only make things worse. She stayed behind her rock and clutched Sorin’s arm in an attempt to stop herself. He seemed to know what was happening, as he hesitantly clasped her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. It was a small gesture, but it was enough.

“Don’t tell me what I feel, okay?” Eiichi’s voice was soft, only a little accusatory. “My first thought when I saw the note that Haneyama person left for you was fear. I was scared because I didn’t know what had happened to you. And then I was angry at myself because I had no idea how you felt. There were probably signs that I missed and I’m so, _so_ sorry about that. I assumed that no one would feel like that about me because I’m sick.”

Ryouma was sniffling as he said, “Well, _I_ do.”

“I know.”

The grass crunched as someone moved. Silence filled the clearing and Hana risked taking a peek, poking her head from the side of the boulder. Ryouma was still shaking, but he was in Eiichi’s arms, the older boy holding him tight. It was a heart-warming scene and she couldn’t help but smile as she shuffled back into her spot.

“Everything alright over there?” Sorin asked, his lips dangerously close to her ear.

She shivered. “It’s more than alright, I think,” she said, hoping he didn’t notice her body’s reaction.

But he did. “Are you cold? Well, doesn’t surprise me since you’re wearing a fairy dress.”

“I’m not cold,” she hissed, not daring to raise her voice any further. “Besides, I like this dress. It’s very pretty.”

His fingers slid down the fabric on her torso. It was a light touch, but his eyes were intense. “Yeah, it is.”

Her breath hitched and she looked up at him, meeting his gaze as he let his hand drop. His light eyes sparkled despite the darkness and she could almost see her face reflected inside them. She wondered how she looked to him right now, her lips slightly parted and her eyes wide.

Then someone screamed.

Whatever spell was on her instantly broke and she jumped from behind the rock. It was clear who had screamed: Eiichi, who was now clutching his chest as he sank to his knees. There was a look of pain on his face, his teeth bared as he tried to endure it. She could only hover above him, not only because she didn’t know how to help, but also because of who was behind him.

Ryouma was still crying as he choked out, “H-Haneyama?!”

Ayaka looked even more disturbed than she had during their last meeting, though it was probably because she no longer needed to hide it. Her eyes were wide and she was panting heavily as she stood over Eiichi, clutching a large needle with clear liquid inside. Judging by Eiichi’s actions, it didn’t seem to be another despair-inducing concoction, but it was enough to hurt him, and that was all Hana needed to know.

“What the hell did you do to him?!” Ryouma screamed. He tried to run forward, arms swinging, but Sorin caught him around the waist before he could hurt himself.

Ayaka’s grin sent chills down Hana’s spine. “I know a retired nurse. She knows how many different substances there are in this world to speed up a person’s heart rate.” She laughed. “She had no idea what I intended to use it for. She probably thought I wasn’t even paying attention. Good thing I remembered, yes? And this one wasn’t even illegal here.”

“You _bitch_ ,” Sorin spat. He still managed to look menacing with the squirming Ryouma in his arms. “I don’t know what happened to you or your friend so many years ago, but keep us the fuck out of it. We have nothing to do with it.”

“Hmm?” Ayaka tapped the needle against her hip. “On the contrary. Your parents are the remnants of despair. They caused everyone close to me to die. Now I’ll cause someone close to _them_ to die. I don’t need that old man to help me. He’s a fucking traitor.”

There was a hiss from Sorin as Ryouma broke out of his hold, blindly swinging towards Ayaka. She was much more graceful than he was, even though she was no longer an idol, dodging him easily. Raising the needle, she was about to strike him when Hana felt courage surge through her. She couldn’t let this happen.

“Hana!” Sorin called as she gripped Ryouma’s wrist and pulled him backwards. The needle only just missed her shoulder.

Ayaka scowled. “Don’t get in the way, girl.”

Hana wasn’t done. Nowhere near it, actually. “As long as you continue to hurt my friends I’m going to get in your way. You can’t tell me what to do.”

Ayaka raised her hand again, but this time was interrupted by a loud hiss and something hitting her back. Hana stepped backwards, dragging Ryouma with her as Ayaka fell forward. Talon had jumped on her back and was now scratching her neck.

Sorin dashed forward but didn’t stop him. “Talon?! What – I thought I left you with Minato-kun.”

“G-Guys.”

Hana looked at Eiichi. He was grimacing, his body centimetres from the floor now. If they kept going at the rate they were, he wouldn’t make it back to the festival, let alone the castle. If only Mikan was with them. She would know what to do.

Sorin noticed it too. “Hana, go get the adults. Keep a specific eye out for Eiichi-kun’s parents and Aunt Mikan.”

“But – but you guys –”

“– will be fine.” Sorin gave her a hard look. “Please, just go!”

Knowing arguing wouldn’t help the situation, Hana nodded and ran in the direction she had come from. The town wasn’t incredibly big, but there were many people to weave through. That would be the biggest problem. She didn’t want to push past everyone, but she had no choice. There were lives at stake here.

The lights blinded her as she left the forest behind. She had become so used to the darkness that the light made her stop for a second before she carried on. She didn’t have time to worry about herself. Eiichi, Ryouma, and Sorin all needed her. They were counting on her. She had to pull through.

The first people she ran into were, thankfully, Eiichi’s parents. They had been near one of the food stalls, laughing loudly and looking far too merry to interrupt. And yet Hana had to. Guilt almost prevented her from approaching them, but she couldn’t risk it.

Nekomaru saw her first, his face changing from happiness to concern as she stopped in front of him. “Hana-chan, what’s wrong.”

“It’s Eiichi-kun!” Hana shouted, attracting the attention of some passers-by. “Haneyama’s back and she – she injected him with something and it’s affecting his heart rate. He’s in the forest near the cliff with Ryouma-kun and Sorin, just _please_ go and help!”

Akane’s teeth ripped through her last piece of chicken. “Dammit!” She let the stick fall to the floor, not looking back as she raced towards the forest.

Nekomaru hung back a little. He placed a hand on Hana’s shoulder and said, “Thanks, Hana-chan. I’ll call the rest of the parents, so make sure you’re safe, okay?”

Hana only nodded, not daring to open her mouth. She felt like crying. Even though she had succeeded in finding Eiichi’s parents, she felt guilty. She had just left the boys there to fend themselves. Sure, Sorin had told her to go, but she thought Ryouma should have gone. He was the youngest of them and needed to be protected.

“Hana-chan? Are you okay?”

And just like that, it felt like the entire town had frozen over. She hesitantly turned towards Ayuta. He was looking at her, curiosity on his face, cotton candy in his hand. She didn’t want to tell him, but she knew that if she didn’t he would be angrier in the long run. She swallowed thickly.

“N-No, no. No, I’m not.”

Ayuta stepped forward and took her arm gently, steering her to the edge of the street where no one was. “Why, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

She bit her lip. Tears were beginning to escape. “We were in the forest and Haneyama found us. And… And she injected Eiichi-kun with something. His heart’s in danger. I couldn’t – I couldn’t stop it, I’m _so_ sorry.”

Ayuta looked shocked at first, but then he started to shake, a frown appearing on his face. “It’s not your fault, Hana-chan. It’s that fucking Haneyama bitch’s fault. She’s not going to get away with this.”

“Ayuta! Wait!” Hana said, trying to grab his shoulders, but he had already run away, cotton candy abandoned on the dirty ground. He was making a beeline for the forest.

Her stomach clenched. She couldn’t let him go. She couldn’t let him see what was happening to his brother. If he went in there, it was possible he would be hurt as well, and she couldn’t let that happen. She had to protect him. She had to protect _all_ of them.

Sprinting after him, she only just managed to keep him in her sights. He was faster than her, that was for sure, but her need to help him made her forget the pain in her legs. There was no torture she wouldn’t go through for her friends and family. She didn’t want any of them to go through hardships, even if they were inevitable.

She only managed to catch up to Ayuta when he was already in the clearing. He was screaming, being restrained by Fuyuhiko and Peko, who had already arrived. In fact, all of the adults were gathered, even her own parents. She quickly ran towards them, but she was interrupted by a loud wail from the other side of the clearing.

“Eiichi-kun!” Seiya cried. She was in Nagito’s arms, clinging to his neck for dear life as tears rolled down her cheeks. He tried to shield her eyes, but she kept twisting her head away from him, forcing herself to watch the action before her.

Hana followed her gaze. Guards were in the middle of the clearing, two of them restraining Ayaka as Sonia ordered them about. Mikan was beside Eiichi, Akane and Nekomaru behind her. Eiichi’s chest was still rising and falling, but he was now unconscious. It was better than the alternative, in any case.

“Hana!” Karin rushed towards her, her hand in Natsuhi’s. “You were here, right? What happened?”

Hana rubbed her temples. She was getting tired of explaining, but it couldn’t be helped. “Haneyama had this serum thing that increases someone’s heart rate. She used it on Eiichi-kun. Sorin told me to go and get help, but I don’t know if I was too late.”

Natsuhi shook her head. “No, no you weren’t! Everyone’s here, aren’t they? Eiichi-kun’s going to be fine.” She looked over Hana’s shoulder. “Looks like Sorin-kun’s got some nasty scratches, though. I wonder if Talon did that…”

“Talon?” Hana said, frowning. “Talon would never do that to Sorin.”

Karin tapped her fingers together. “I… When we got here, Haneyama had stuck a needle in Talon. I think that’s what caused him to go crazy. Since he’s an animal, he reacted differently and, well, he didn’t make it.”

Hana looked behind her. Sorin’s back was to her, his shirt ripped, back bleeding in multiple places. He didn’t seem to care, more focused on what he and Gundam were huddling around. The only thing she could see was the black tail. It was limp, no longer swishing from side to side like it usually did. She wanted to go over there and comfort Sorin, but now wasn’t the time.

Instead, she watched the guards take Ayaka away. The older woman struggled and screamed, her voice growing hoarse until she gave up altogether, the leaves shielding her face as she disappeared from view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY, TALON.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ALL ABOARD THE S.S. SORANA.

It wasn’t silent in the hallway, but the atmosphere was definitely tense.

Almost everyone was gathered outside Eiichi’s room. Mikan was inside, tending to him, while Hajime had gone to make a call. Sorin had disappeared soon after they returned to the palace and Gundam had gone to look for him. Everyone else was hovering in the hallway, waiting for something – _anything_ – to happen.

Hana sat against the wall, squished between Karin and her mother. She had been staring at the same spot on the carpet for ten minutes now. Her mother had given up trying to console her and was now speaking to her father and Hiyoko. Karin was deep in conversation with Natsuhi. No one would disturb her.

Her eyes drifted to the others. Ayuta was sitting between his parents, his head buried in his knees. Yuzuru and Seiya were trying to distract Ryouma by playing games, but it wasn’t working. He was still crying. Claudia was lying on Titania’s legs, half asleep as Sonia paced back and forth in front of them. Minato couldn’t stop fiddling with his sword sheath and Peko was the same. Fuyuhiko could only watch them, concerned.

Hana stared at the adjacent wall after that, only breaking eye contact with the marble patterns when she heard footsteps coming their way. She knew it wasn’t Mikan. She would have heard the door open. Looking up, she saw that it was Hajime and Gundam. Hajime stopped near Sonia, speaking to her in a low voice as Gundam continued walking until he was in front of Kazuichi.

Knowing that it wasn’t news on Eiichi’s condition, Hana returned to being numb. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she almost missed her father shaking her shoulder gently.

She looked up. “What is it?”

Kazuichi gestured for her to stand up, so she did. “How are you holding up?”

“Fine.” She looked behind him. Gundam was still there, holding something in his hands. “What’s wrong?”

Gundam shook his head. “Nothing. I just found where Sorin was. He’s in the highest tower, the one near the library. I intended to find the disinfectant and tend to his wounds myself, but if you would, could you please do it? He needs a friendly face that isn’t his parent right now.”

Hana glanced at Kazuichi, who nodded at her. Now that she had permission, she took the medicine and wipes from Gundam and said, “Sure. I’ll be back as soon.”

She power-walked to the stairs, wanting to get away from the dreary mood as soon as possible. Leaving wouldn’t change how upset she was, but it was starting to get on her nerves, everyone just waiting around like that. She was glad she had something to do, and not only because it got her out of that hallway. She now had an excuse to check on Sorin.

It was stupid and incredibly selfish, she realised, to still be so focused on Sorin when Eiichi was in danger. She felt like a traitor, and yet she knew that Eiichi would want her to go on as she normally would. He was that kind of person. Thinking of him made her tear up again.

Brushing the thought from her mind, she focused on finding the tower. All she had to do was follow the path to the library and find the entrance. There weren’t many rooms on that floor, and judging by the castle’s exterior the highest tower would be near the middle. That was the place she had to go.

There was only one door near the floor’s centre. It was wooden and polished, the spider webs around the doorknob indicating it hadn’t been used much. She hesitated. Although she wanted to see Sorin, to comfort him, she didn’t know whether he wanted to see her. Sure, Gundam wouldn’t have suggested she go if he thought it was a bad idea, but she still wasn’t certain. Parents weren’t always right, after all.

Taking a deep breath, she turned the doorknob and pushed it forward, stepping over the threshold. It was dark inside the tower, and that was only proven further as she closed the door behind her. A spiral staircase only just fit into the narrow space. It looked rickety, but it had to be sturdy enough if it hadn’t been used much, right?

In any other situation, she would have exercised caution, but she wanted to get to the top as soon as possible. She quickly trotted up the stairs until she reached the landing. It was lighter up there, and it wasn’t hard to tell why. The tower had windows that overlooked the town, the lights below mixing with the moonlight to create a light source for visitors. She couldn’t help but stare.

“Hana?”

She whirled around. Sorin was to her right, tucked up in the shadows. She could tell he had been crying by the tone of his voice, the way it broke on just one word. She wasted no time in sitting next to him, ignoring the chill of the night air as she set the medical supplies beside her.

“This is a stupid question, but how are you?” she murmured, already opening the bottle of disinfectant.

Sorin snorted but turned to show her his back regardless. “I feel like shit. My cat’s fucking dead, one of my best friends might be next, and that formula you have in your hands is gonna sting like a bitch.”

She winced at how harsh he sounded, especially when it came to Eiichi. “Eiichi-kun’s not going to be next. No one is going to let that happen.” She dabbed the nearest scratch.

He hissed, his back arching away from her as she continued to treat his wounds. “I know, I know, it’s just… You can’t change who lives or dies. It’s impossible. We’re only human.”

“This is about Talon, isn’t it?” she asked, immediately regretting it when he tensed up.

“Of course it is.” He wasn’t facing her, but she could imagine his expression. If she had to guess, it would be one of pain and melancholy – one of grief. “I know I shouldn’t be so worried about Talon when Eiichi-kun is down there fighting for his life, but I’m upset, okay?!”

She stopped treating him just long enough to put her hand on his shoulder. “Hey, you’re allowed to be upset. Animals are your life, Sorin, and Talon was your best animal friend. Just because someone else ‘has it worse’ right now doesn’t make your feelings any less valid. You know you can always talk to someone. Literally any of us would be willing to listen to you.”

His sigh turned into a grunt as she pressed a wipe on the last wound. “I know that, I do, but I just wanted to be alone for a while.”

“Ah…” She tried to hide her disappointment. “Well, I’m done. I should leave you alone, then.”

She busied herself by gathering up the dirty wipes and closing the disinfectant. He shifted beside her, she could feel it, but she didn’t look up. She knew she was overreacting, being too sensitive. He had the right to be alone if he wished. She stood up, ready to leave when she heard him.

“Wait. Stay.”

She risked looking at him. He was now facing her, hand outstretched as if reaching for something, but he held nothing. She couldn’t resist his request, and so she sat back down and put the medical supplies near the wall.

They sat in silence for a little while, neither looking at the other, but it wasn’t an awkward silence, not really. It was Sorin who spoke first, saying, “And what about you? Are you okay?”

She shrugged. “I’m as okay as I can be in this situation, I guess. I’m kind of relieved to be out of that hallway, though. Everyone’s so depressed. It’s hard to function properly there.” She ran her hands up and down her arms, feeling the goose bumps there and wishing she’d brought a jacket.

Seeing her gestures, he said, “You’re cold? I’d give you my jacket, but it’s got bloodstains on it and it’s all ripped, so…”

“I’m fine,” she insisted. “It’s just a little colder than it was near that waterfall. It’s probably because it’s like what? Two in the morning? I’ll be fine. I don’t wanna go down and change anyway.” She didn’t mention that she didn’t want to leave him. He didn’t need to know that.

He leaned against the wall, his head making a soft thumping noise against the wood. “About that clearing… When we were there I asked what you were doing and you said you were looking for me. Why was that?”

She froze. She had almost forgotten about the tree and his message, her mind so focused on Eiichi and the others that she couldn’t think about anything else. But now it had been brought up. Of course, she could make up some kind of excuse, say she was worried after she heard he had run off, but she didn’t want to lie. There shouldn’t be a _reason_ to lie. He reciprocated her feelings, right? That was how she had interpreted it, anyway.

Licking her lips, she said, “I was at the tree – the one for the love tradition – and after I was finished putting… my piece of paper on the tree, I turned around and saw another one.”

When she mentioned her own piece of paper, his head snapped up, a look of shock on his face. “And, uh, what did this piece of paper say?”

“It said…” She took a deep breath. “It said: ‘ _Hana. Please understand what I meant when I said we weren’t friends. You’re much more than a mere friend_.’”

Had Sorin always been that pale? “I see.” He looked down. “And, um, out of interest, whose name was on your piece of paper?”

He was digging for something, she knew. He wasn’t hiding it very well. This was where she really hesitated. It was unlikely that he had put her name there in terms of platonic love, especially when there were friendship traditions for the night as well, but she couldn’t be sure. She was only ninety-five per cent sure of herself, and that five per cent was nagging at her brain, telling her that this wasn’t going to come true.

Even so, she answered. “Sorin. The name on the paper was Sorin.”

“Huh?” Sorin’s wide eyes met hers for a second before she broke contact. “Are – Are you serious? You’re not just fucking around with me, are you?”

She scowled at him. “Of course not! Do you really think I’m capable of being that cruel?”

Despite everything, he smiled. “No, no you’re not. I know you’re not. I was just surprised. I thought you always hated me.”

“I thought I did too,” she confessed, suddenly finding her hands very interesting. “I don’t know when I fell in love you, but it was long before this. I only realised it when you said we weren’t friends. I was so upset and it took me talking to Titania to find out. I’ve always been more sensitive to what you said. I misinterpreted my own feelings, and now here I go, rambling like an idiot.

She tried to cover her eyes with her hands, but he pulled them away with his own, gripping them firmly. She shivered again, but this time it wasn’t from the cold. “You can ramble all you want. I don’t care. And you’re cold again.”

Shaking her head she said, “I’m not shaking because I’m cold. I get like this when you show affection towards me, or at least what I think is affection.” She pointed a finger at his chest. “Take responsibility! The same thing happened in the clearing as well!”

“What, you mean when I did this?”

Before she could ask what he intended to do, his knuckles were brushing her side. She recalled how she had commented on her dress and he had done the same thing. It appeared that he remembered as well. It was technically the same feeling, but there was something different about it. She tried to figure it out.

A light bulb flickered over her head when she did, she was sure of it. “Yeah, just like that. Except we were closer before, remember? We were hiding behind that rock.”

He smirked. Even in the darkness she could tell. He placed one hand in the middle of her back and pulled her forward with the other, almost making her lose her balance and stumble into him. If she were any closer she would be able to feel the warmth of his breath, maybe even his heart if she leaned against his chest. Butterflies stirred in her stomach.

“Close like this?” he asked. His voice was barely above a whisper, but she could hear him loud and clear.

His fingertips brushed her cheeks and she shuddered. “Yeah, like that. What exactly was that about before? You can give someone a compliment without touching them, you know.”

“I know,” he said. “I just…”

“You just what?”

He flushed, eyes flickering between hers and the rest of the tower before he finally settled down and said, “At that time I really, _really_ want to kiss you.”

It was her turn to be embarrassed, but even then she couldn’t help but smile. “Is that so?”

“Well, yeah.” His hold on her loosened a little, but he didn’t let go completely. “There have been so many times where I felt like that, but I mean, I’m not going to do that without your permission. That would be unfair to you.”

She was the one to move next, her hands sliding up his arms to his shoulders. “You can. If you want to, that is. Is that permission sufficient?”

He turned his head towards her, meeting her strong gaze. She wanted him to know that she was being completely serious, that everything she had said was true. This wasn’t something she wanted to communicate with words. She didn’t even know if she could find them. No, her best bet was staying silent, let him make the next choice.

It paid off. His grip tightened again and he pulled her even further towards him. She could properly see his eyes now, the darkness not enough to hide them from her. They distracted her from the rest of him, and so she was surprised when his face came even closer, their noses touching.

“More than sufficient.”

Sorin’s lips were chapped, but warm. She could taste the salt of his dried tears and she couldn’t help but think the flavour suited him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her in as she took his face in her hands, caressing his cheeks with her thumbs. She felt him shiver and pride filled her now that the tables were turned, even if it was for a brief moment. She melted completely when his hands moved from her back to her arms, to her shoulders, to her jawline.

When they required air, she thought she had forgotten how to breathe. Her mind was still spinning and she couldn’t think properly. He looked the same, his face red and eyelids fluttering as he regained his breath. He smiled when he saw her looking. It wasn’t his usual smirk, but a tender smile, his expression soft and welcoming. Her heart did flips.

“Fuck, I’ve waited so long to be able to do that,” he said, voice hoarse again.

She tilted her head. “How long exactly?”

“That’s for me to know and you to never find out ever.”

She laughed, burying her head in the crook of his neck. “Well, I’m sorry for not noticing sooner. This is probably the worst time for this to happen. I mean, with everything going on…”

He moved so he could see her face, brushing some stray strands of hair away. “I disagree. If anything, Talon would be jumping for joy. Why do you think he was so attached to you in particular? And in times like this, what’s the most important?”

She didn’t skip a beat. “Love. Love is the most important.”

 

* * *

 

The two of them returned to the hallway together. No one had really moved since Hana had last been there, most of them not even looking up as they stopped. That was to be expected. Both of them had made sure they calmed down before leaving the tower, leaving no evidence of their confessions behind. That would be something to tell the others another day.

Gundam walked over to them, smiling at Hana slightly before guiding Sorin to where the other Tanakas were. She watched him for a few more seconds than necessary, and while she thought no one had noticed, she was proven wrong when she saw her own father watching her. He pointed towards her, then at the ground beside him.

Rolling her eyes, she trudged over to him. “ _Yes_ , daddy?”

“Well, how did it go?” Kazuichi usually wasn’t a quiet person, but he managed to keep his voice down.

She feigned innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He raised an eyebrow and she mirrored the action. “C’mon now. I’m your dad. I know when something’s happened. Why do you think Tanaka and I sent you up there?”

“What?” She had to restrain herself from laughing. “You and Uncle Gundam decided to play matchmaker? You. Of all people. Two thirds of the protective father squad. Matchmakers. The ones who pushed us along. I don’t believe it.”

Kazuichi only smiled. It took her a few seconds to realise her mistake, but he was already talking. “So something _did_ happen?”

She glared at him. “I regret telling you all about this.”

“I’m going to take that as a yes,” he said. She wanted to wipe the smile off his face. “Seriously, though, if he does anything, I will find him and I will hurt him. Hell, I’m pretty sure _Tanaka_ will hurt him if he does anything to you.”

Hana was about to retort when the door to Eiichi’s room opened. Everyone jumped up and scrambled to the doorway as Mikan shut it behind her. She looked tired and worn down, but not sad. Hana took that as a good sign.

“C’mon, Tsumiki, tell us what the deal is!” Hiyoko whined with a tone that rivalled Seiya’s.

Mikan was too exhausted to feel threatened. “U-Um, Eiichi-kun is stable right now, but he’s going to need some time to recover before…”

“Before what?” Hana had never seen Akane look so scared before. Her hand was clamped around Nekomaru’s, and he was lucky it was made of metal, since she probably would have squeezed the blood out of it otherwise.

“He’ll need a transplant,” Mikan said. “It’s not incredibly urgent, but it will need to happen soon. If I could organize that with Akane-san and Nidai-san – and Sonia-san will be very helpful with this too – that would be for the best.”

Her voice was quieter at the end, all of the confidence she had held as a professional wavering as she took in everyone’s reactions. It was a mixed bag. Seiya and Yuzuru had only heard that he was stable and were looking happier, but the Nidais were still concerned. Hana couldn’t blame them.

“We’ll do anything to save him,” Nekomaru said. “But we want his permission first. I doubt he’ll say no, but I want to ask.”

Mikan nodded. “I understand. We will have to wait u-until he wakes up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BAM. I have waited so long to write this Sorana moment, you have no idea. It's cheesy as hell, but I love it anyway.
> 
> So in a couple of days I'll be away. It won't be for too long, but I don't know if I'll have internet, so if I'm not updating as frequently, that's why. I'll still be writing, though!
> 
> ALSO DR3 CONFIRMED. DR3 CONFIIIIRRRRRMED. //CELEBRATES
> 
> Okay, it's almost 4am, I need to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are some complications, and Eiichi isn't even in surgery yet.

Hana woke up the following morning to screaming and shouting.

At first she tried to block it out, rolling over and burying her face in her pillow, but it was too much to ignore. At first she thought it might be Seiya causing havoc like she often did, but then she heard the voices of the adults. She snapped to attention and rolled out of bed, racing into the hallway without a single thought about her appearance.

As she had feared, everyone was gathered outside Eiichi’s room. Mikan was standing in front of the door protectively, flinching whenever Akane tried to fling herself inside. Nekomaru was the only thing holding his wife back. Only some of the adults where there with them, namely Sonia, Gundam, Chiaki, and Teruteru. They were all watching with looks of concern.

Titania, Natsuhi, and Karin were there as well, watching from a distance. Hana quickly rushed over to them and asked, “What’s going on?”

“I have no fucking idea,” Natsuhi said, her eyes following the action. “We came out here when we heard screaming.”

Karin fiddled with the end of her ponytail. “Do you… I wonder if, maybe, something happened with Eiichi-kun? Aunt Mikan said he was stable last night, though.”

Hana’s stomach did somersaults. She was about to go up and ask herself when they were spotted by Chiaki, who excused herself from the peanut gallery to approach them. She also looked half-asleep, and Hana wondered if she had woken up because of the noise as well. A normal human wouldn’t have picked up the sounds from another floor, but Chiaki wasn’t normal.

“Aunt Chiaki, what’s happening?” Titania asked. There were bags under her eyes.

Chiaki pondered the question for a bit. Then, “From what I can gather, Eiichi-kun refuses to accept the heart donation. I think.”

For a few seconds, Hana didn’t know how to breathe. She remembered the previous evening when Nekomaru had asked to make sure Eiichi was okay with the transplant, but she had never thought he would refuse. This was his life. Surely he wanted to preserve it, right? She would be damned if she let Haneyama Ayaka have her way. None of them were going to die.

Right?

“Stop fucking around, Aunt Chiaki,” Natsuhi said. “There’s no way he wouldn’t take it.”

Chiaki wasn’t bothered by the swearing. She never was. “I may be a robot, but I’m not insensitive. I would never ‘fuck around’ about something as serious as this. I’m sorry that I don’t know too much about the situation. Maybe if you try and speak to him, he’ll change his mind?”

Titania looked over Chiaki’s shoulder, watching the scene in front of Eiichi’s room. “Will we be allowed in there? Aunt Mikan seems to very protective.”

“Hm…” Chiaki followed her gaze. “Perhaps if it was only one or two of you. She might let you in then. And you’re acting calmer than Akane-san and Mechomaru are, so you’ll be able to be more reliable.”

Titania turned to Hana, a spark of determination in her eyes. “How about you and myself, Hana-chan? I think if we work together we can get him to agree.”

Hana nodded and looked at Natsuhi and Karin. “Sure, if it’s alright with you two.”

Karin snorted dismissively. “It’s fine. Seriously. Natsuhi would probably end up swearing at him and I’d be way too interested in the medical procedure to pay attention. No, you two are the best for the job. And if Aunt Mikan doesn’t let you in as you are, we’ll make sure you get in anyway.” She frowned. “I have a feeling Eiichi-kun needs someone to talk to.”

Hana looked at Titania, who nodded, then at the door. Mikan was still blocking it, but hopefully she would move when she saw it was them. Like Chiaki had said, they were handling the situation much better, which made sense. Of course his parents would be distraught. They didn’t want to lose their own child. No one did. It was worse, him being a twin. They could never be separated.

Titania walked over to the door and Hana remained at her heels. She would let Titania, who was much more charming, do the talking. They had a better chance that way. They needed to be prepared if they wanted to get inside.

“Aunt Mikan?” Titania said, cutting through the adults’ conversation. No, conversation wasn’t the right word for it. Akane and Nekomaru had been screaming, howling, _wailing_ for their child to open up to them. “If you please, would you let us speak to Eiichi-kun? We won’t yell at him. We just want to know where his mental state is at the moment.”

Mikan flinched and avoided her gaze. Hana knew she was considering it, but then her eyes hardened. “No, I-I’m sorry. Eiichi-kun said he doesn’t want to see anyone. Please don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

Neither Hana nor Titania said anything as the Nidais started to shout again. They both saw the terror in Mikan’s eyes as she tried to reassure them. She didn’t even believe her own words, so how were they supposed to? Titania tried to speak to her again, but her voice was drowned out by Akane’s cries. There was no use trying.

Hana glumly made her way back to Karin and Natsuhi, who were looking at them expectantly. Natsuhi was even tapping her foot with impatience.

“Well, what happened?” she asked, foot stopping.

Titania sighed. “I’m afraid we were not allowed in. Eiichi-kun doesn’t want to see anyone, apparently.”

Karin sighed. “That sounds about right. Honestly, if I were him I wouldn’t want to see anyone either. Everyone would probably want me to reconsider and tell me my choice is wrong. He might listen to us later, but not now. He’s probably still fired up about it.”

Natsuhi growled and spun on her heel. “We don’t have until later! This opportunity isn’t gonna last forever, you know. We have to make sure he takes it while he can. Sure, maybe I’m not the best person to talk to, but I do know how to get up to higher places.”

She started walking and the others followed, Karin placing an arm on her head. “Aw, it’s ‘cause you’re so short, isn’t it? That’s so cute.”

“Shut – shut up!” Natsuhi said, throwing Karin’s arm off of her and quickening her pace. Hana could see a pink tinge on her cheeks as she stormed ahead.

Karin caught up to her easily, spinning her around and giving her a chaste kiss on her lips. “You’re even cuter when you’re flustered, you know that?”

Hana grinned while Titania looked dumbfounded. She had always known the two of them were going to work out, but she hadn’t realised it had been so soon. She would have to interrogate the two separately later and make sure she had all of the details, but that would have to wait. Saving Eiichi was more important.

Natsuhi didn’t look back at them once as she led them outside the palace. Hana suspected it had to do with the earlier comment and how the back of her ears looked like tomatoes, but she didn’t say anything. She was in no position to judge, especially after the previous night.

Oh, right, there was that to think about. She didn’t know what she and Sorin were yet, but they were definitely something. She would have to ask him later when all of this had been resolved. At least she would be able to face him. She hoped.

Natsuhi led them to the side of the palace and stopped underneath one of the balconies. “Okay, this one should be it.”

“Um, what should be it?” Titania asked.

Karin looked up, shielding her face from the sun. “Oh! I think I get it. This is Eiichi-kun’s balcony, right? All we have to do is climb up it and knock.”

Hana could feel the worry lines creasing her forehead. “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. I mean, look at how high it is. How could one of us reach it, let alone two? Sure, there are those decorations on either side that could be used as hand and foot holds, but I still think it’s dangerous. And even if we do manage to get up there, how do we know he’ll let us in?”

“He’ll have to,” Natsuhi said. “He can’t just leave us standing out there. Even if he wants to, he won’t be able to. He’s too good like that.”

“So we’re exploiting his kindness?” Titania looked shocked at the notion. “That’s…”

“It’s our only choice,” Karin said. “Well, it’s either that or we kick the door down, but the noise would alert Aunt Mikan and she’d chase us out. Or, well, she’d chase _you_ out. I’m not gonna be talking to him. Like I said, Natsuhi and I are no good at that stuff.”

Hana turned to Titania. “What do you think? Should we go?”

Titania looked unsure, but when her eyes travelled upwards to the balcony her expression hardened. “I think we should do it. We need to talk to him. Even if we can’t convince him otherwise, I really think we should find out his reasons. I know he wouldn’t do this to us if he didn’t think he had a good reason to.”

Hana sighed. “Alright, alright, but you go first. I want to know it’s safe.”

With a laugh, Titania gripped the castle decorations and pulled herself upwards. Her pace was slow at first, but she soon got the hang of it. Karin and Natsuhi cheered her on, but Hana couldn’t help but worry as she climbed higher. There was a chance she would fall and they would end up with two bedridden people.

But that didn’t happen. Titania reached the balcony without any issues, waving down to them. “Come on, Hana-chan! Your turn!”

Hana scanned the area, looking for a way to escape, but there wasn’t one. Karin grabbed her shoulders and pushed her forward. She felt like fainting. There really wasn’t a way out of this. Her entire life she had told the others about the dangers of climbing on buildings, and now here they were. She was a horrible example.

Closing her eyes, she started to climb. Once she opened them again, she made sure to keep her eyes trained upwards. There was no point in looking down. She was never afraid of heights unless she was climbing like she was now. She could deal with everything else just fine. Some might say she felt ashamed of her fear, but she would deny it and protest that she feared nothing. They were all lies, of course.

Titania helped her over the railing once she arrived at the top. When she was on solid ground once more, she collapsed on her hands and knees and coughed, ignoring the stinging on her kneecaps as they started to bleed.

“Was it that bad?” Titania asked her.

She nodded. “Yeah, it kinda sucked, but I’ll be fine.” She stood up, ignoring the scrapes and bruises. “Come on, let’s just get this over with, okay?”

Titania nodded and placed her hand on the door handle. Hana didn’t expect it to open, but it did, quiet as a mouse as it let them inside. Eiichi’s room was the same as theirs, but the furniture wasn’t as feminine. The colour scheme was the same, though, so it didn’t look too different. The boy himself was lying on his side in bed, facing away from them. He hadn’t seen them yet.

“Eiichi-kun,” Titania said softly, sitting beside the bed.

He didn’t turn around. “How did you get in here?” His voice was low and broken in parts. He had definitely been crying.

“Your balcony door was open,” Hana said, sitting next to Titania.

Eiichi sighed. “It doesn’t matter what you say, okay? I’m not going to reconsider.”

Titania opened her mouth to say something, but Hana stopped her. The look in her eyes had been one of pain and Hana knew she would have said something she would regret. Instead, she would be the one to speak.

“It’s not that we’re telling you to change your decision. We just want to know why. What’s the problem?”

Eiichi shifted so he was facing him. His eyes were puffy and his hands were curled against his chest as if protecting himself. “Well, you know how they perform a heart transplant, right? They choose a donor from someone whose brain is dead but they’re still alive. I don’t want to mess with that.”

Hana scowled. “Why not? This is a normal procedure. There’s probably so many people who have heart transplants in just one day.”

“But…” Eiichi twitched. “Remember what we read about our parents? They were in comas, practically brain dead, but they still survived. What if the donor has the potential to survive? If I take their heart then the possibility of them surviving would be zero.”

Titania took one of his hands with her own. “Is that what this is about? I’m sure the donor’s family is doing what they think is right.”

Eiichi wasn’t convinced. “What does that even mean? They’re probably only doing it because my family is best friends with your family. All of us are practically royals around here. They probably think that it’s part of their duty as a citizen.” He sounded angry, a strange tone for him. He was always so calm and polite. Hana wanted to cry.

“Do you know who the donor is?” Titania asked softly. She looked like she wanted to cry as well.

“Not by name,” Eiichi said. “But they’re staying in one of the staff cottages, according to Aunt Mikan. I can’t believe they’re already here. They probably came a long way.”

Hana tried to calm herself down. While on the outside she appeared calm and collected, she was panicking. She didn’t want Eiichi to die, but with the way things were going it was highly likely that he would. She wanted to grab his hands and plead with him no to do this to himself, to them, but in the end it was his choice. She couldn’t change that. None of them could.

Titania let go of Eiichi and stood up. “Alright… I, well… We’ll see you when you’re feeling a bit more up to talking to people, okay?”

Eiichi looked relieved now that he would be left alone, but Hana rose her head and stared at Titania in confusion. Titania no longer looked defeated. The determination she’d had before was back. That was how Hana knew that everything would be alright if they left.

“Yeah,” she said, patting Eiichi’s hand. “See you.”

He mumbled a, “Bye,” before turning on his side once more. Knowing he wouldn’t say anything else, Hana moved to the balcony, letting Titania out before shutting the door. The fresh air was a nice reliever from her emotions, but that changed when she realised they would have to climb down the same way they came up.

Looking down, she cringed, but the action was short lived. It wasn’t just Natsuhi and Karin down there anymore. Minato, Claudia, and Sorin were now there as well. Everyone waved as she stared. She waved half-heartedly, making sure they didn’t see how nervous she was.

“Who should go down first?” Titania asked, gesturing to their ‘ladder’.

“You should,” Hana said quickly. “I mean, yeah, just go…”

Titania eyed her for a second before starting her descent. As soon as she was a quarter of the way down, Hana followed, making sure to keep her eyes pointing upwards as much as she could. This almost ended in her falling towards the end, as she underestimated where the ground was, stumbling backwards into someone’s arms.

“Watch where you’re going,” Sorin said as he helped her regain her balance.

Dusting herself off, she looked at him. His attitude was the same as always, but there was a spark in his eyes telling her he didn’t mean it. He’d been worried. It would be hard for the others to decipher is thoughts, other than perhaps Titania and Minato, maybe even Claudia. That was both the blessing and the curse of growing up together.

“So what happened?” Natsuhi asked as they all huddled in a circle, shoulders touching. “With Eiichi-kun, I mean.”

“We heard what happened from the Aunt of Nursing,” Claudia said. She was trying to make her voice powerful, but her worry was showing through.

Titania draped an arm over her sister’s shoulder. “We asked him why he didn’t want a transplant and he said that it was because he felt guilty. The person the heart is coming from is comatose and he thinks there’s a chance he’ll wake up. He doesn’t want to risk that person dying for his sake. There’s probably a low chance the person will wake up, but remember our parents? It happened for them, so I guess he thinks it’ll happen to this person.”

“Plus, he thinks the people are only willing to give up the heart because he knows the royal family,” Hana added.

Titania nodded in agreement. “Yes, and that’s why I asked him who the donor was. He doesn’t know them by name, but he knows where they’re staying. You all remember the staff cottages near the garden, right?” Everyone muttered in confirmation. “They’re staying in one of those.”

“Oh, I think I see where this is going,” Minato said. “You want to reassure him that the family is okay with this so he’ll take the new heart, right? It should work out.”

Karin pumped her fist in the air. “With that, Eiichi-kun’s gotta agree to have the transplant!”

“Eiichi’s not having the transplant?”

Hana froze. She slowly moved so she could see around the circle, hoping it wasn’t who she thought it was. Unfortunately, she was right. Ayuta stood there as still as a statue, his mouth wide open. It was scary to see someone who was usually so energetic rooted on the spot like that. There were bags under his eyes, so he had already probably had a sleepless night. He didn’t need all of this to add on to his worries.

“Shit,” Natsuhi said under her breath.

Titania was the first to recover, moving over to Ayuta. “It’ll be fine, Ayuta-kun! We have a plan!”

Ayuta continued to stare straight ahead. Tears were forming in his eyes. “I… He’s… He’s leaving me alone? He can’t do that! Where is he?!”

As his sadness turned to anger, Titania tried to calm him down, but he slapped her hands away. Minato gently tugged her away as Ayuta’s tears started falling. “What the fuck?! He can’t do that!”

He turned and sprinted away, leaving the others in the dust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOOOOO, sorry this took so long. I was away for the weekend, then as soon as I got back I had to be a leader at this holiday kids thing. I still have two more days of that, though. As a result, I haven't had as much time to write, but I hope you enjoyed the update all the same!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wish I had something witty to put here, but I don't.

Hana wanted to run after Ayuta and console him, but she knew it wasn’t a good idea. For one, she didn’t know what to say. They also had another job on their hands, and they couldn’t all be in two places at once. As soon as she came to that resolve, she started talking.

“Alright, well, I think we have our work cut out for us, but we’ve got this,” she said, clenching her fists in determination. “We need to split up. Some of us will find the donor and their family, some of us will run after Ayuta-kun, and… And I really think we need to keep Ryouma-kun in the dark about this for as long as we can. He’ll find out eventually, but…”

Karin grabbed Natsuhi’s hand and pulled it upwards. “Ooh, we can do that! We know how to distract people! Besides, we don’t have the whole comforting thing on our side. We’ll leave the sensitive topics to you guys. Do you know where Ryouma-kun is?”

Everyone either shook their heads or said they didn’t. Natsuhi sighed and Hana noticed she hadn’t taken her hand away from Karin’s yet. “Alright, I guess we’ll have to run around and look for him then.”

“What are we waiting for?!” Karin yelled, sprinting off. Natsuhi hadn’t been prepared for the sudden movement, almost falling forward onto the grass as she yelled at her to stop.

Hana watched them go, amused at their antics. Despite the situation, Karin seemed to be very upbeat and optimistic. She was happy, and that was all Hana really wanted for her sister. Well, as long as she was allowed to be the maid of honour at their wedding. That would have to be her privilege as the older sister, right?

Claudia interrupted her thoughts. “I plan to go after the energetic one.” Her façade faltered. “Well, he’s usually energetic.”

That was no surprise. Claudia and the twins were some kind of inseparable trio. Since everyone seemed to be separated by age groups, even if it was only a little, the fifteen year olds would of course be together. It had always been that way, and they were always there for each other. Claudia would naturally want to try and help in any way she could.

“I’ll come with you, then,” Titania said. Minato followed after her, a look of concern on his face. Hana knew she could trust him. He was calmer than everyone else. Hopefully he would be able to lend Ayuta his strength.

Once they were gone, Sorin turned to her and said, “I guess that leaves us with talking to the donor. Or at least the donor’s family.”

“Yep,” Hana said. She was fine with this turn of events. This was the job she wanted, anyway. As the two started walking she asked, “And how are you doing?”

He looked at her quizzically. “What do you mean?”

She focused on the ground in front of her. “I mean about Talon…”

“Oh.” He was momentarily surprised, but then his face fell a little. She felt a guilty about bringing it up, but she wanted to make sure. “Well, I mean, it’ll take a bit of time, and I don’t think I’ll completely get over it, but we have more important things to worry about. This is a distraction. And honestly, last night my mind was elsewhere…”

He risked a glance at her. It was quick, but she saw it, and she flushed when she realised what he meant. “I’m glad I was able to help, even if it was just a little.”

“A little?” He stopped, his whole body facing her. “That was more than just a little. I mean, I never thought that would happen.”

She groaned and kept walking, holding her face in her hands. “Ugh, this is so embarrassing to talk about! It’s so much easier when it’s dark and I can’t see your face. I bet dad wouldn’t have gotten away with being this affectionate with mum, you know.”

Another hand pulled one of her own away from her face. “At least keep one eye on the path in front of you, you idiot. And of course he wouldn’t have, at least not right away. They had a lot of shit to overcome before they could even think about that. Uncle Fuyuhiko and Aunt Peko were an exception, but everyone else was confused because they were still technically strangers. I mean, sure, they’d spent their entire time together on a fucking island, but there was so much distrust. We’ve known each other our whole lives and seen each other every day. It’s only natural.”

“Who’s an idiot?!” she said, slapping his shoulder with her other hand. It didn’t take long for her to calm down, though. “That’s true. Whatever they must have been through… It sounds terrifying. And they had all those memories with them. It makes me feel like we take what we have for granted.”

As they rounded the corner, he asked, “What do you mean?”

She pursed her lips. “I mean like… We spend our lives on an _island_ of all places. The beach is at our fingertips, we can always see the stars, and we don’t have to use a car to get anywhere. Have any of us even seen a car in person? And then we have our parents and aunts and uncles. Your parents are a king and queen. You’re a prince. The Nidais are stronger than a hurricane. We even have our own personal nurse on hand who’s the best at what she does. We’re so lucky.”

“I suppose.” Sorin didn’t sound so sure. “Sure, I’m a prince, but I was never able to truly live up to being one. This is my first time visiting Novoselic, remember? All of us had many things on that island, but we never saw the world. You need life experience. We didn’t have that. We were completely cut off from the world. It wasn’t fair. Sure, we may have taken advantage of what we have, but compared to what other kids experience, that’s not too much.”

He was right. They had been cut off from society for so long. “I get what you mean. Claudia-chan is hesitant towards outsiders now, and Eiichi-kun always thought we were stuck on the island because of his condition. We were all suffering. Our parents were only trying to keep us safe, and we were, but we need to know about the world.”

He nodded. “Exactly. My point is, at the age we are now, it’s normal for us to make mistakes in relationships or to be more interested in them.”

She scowled, pouting a little. “I don’t want to make any mistakes. I refuse to make any mistakes.”

“You’re such a perfectionist,” he said, punching her shoulder lightly. “And even if you do make a mistake, there’s nothing you can do to get rid of me. Ever. Or vice versa – or at least I hope so.”

“No, you’re right,” she said quickly, and thinking back on it she knew it was true. There had been so many times when she had become angry with him in the past, more than she could count, and they had always fought ever since they were small. Despite that – no, _because_ of that – she still cared for him as much as she did. “You’re stuck with the perfectionist.”

He laughed and said, “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m not as romantic as the guys in your shoujo mangas, though, so don’t expect me to live up to them.”

At the mention of her favourite genre, she seized up. “How did you know about that?!”

“You’re not as secretive as you think,” he said, walking forwards with a smirk on his face. Oh, how she hated (not really, she loved it) that smirk.

With a shout, she ran beside him. Their bantering continued all the way to the garden, and even then both were determined to get the last word, stopping near the line of cottages to delay the inevitable. Their mission was temporarily forgotten.

That was until someone opened the door to the nearest cottage, a middle-aged woman’s head poking out. “Excuse me, is everything okay?”

Hana, who had been in the middle of a jab against Sorin’s hairstyle, stopped and bowed. “Sorry! We didn’t mean to disturb you.”

The woman smiled and walked towards them, shutting the door behind her. She was a beautiful lady, but a frazzled one, her hair frizzy and her eyes bloodshot. She didn’t seem mean, though, and so Hana deemed her safe. It was a little sad that she had to think that way now, but after Ayaka Haneyama, she had to be sure.

When she saw Sorin, the woman curtsied the same way the maids always did. “Prince Sorin, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I assume this young lady next to you is Lady Hana. Please correct me if I’m wrong, of course. We see more pictures of the royal family than their loyal friends.”

“I-It’s fine,” Hana insisted, a little embarrassed at being held in such a high regard. “I’m Hana.”

The woman breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, I was hoping so. Did you come to the gardens to have a break? Or is there another purpose? Not that I need to know, of course. I’m merely curious.”

Hana could understand the feeling. “We were looking for the donor of Eiichi-kun. Or the family, anyway.”

“Ah, that would be me,” the woman said, pointing to herself. “I am Moira Fields, the mother of the donor, Violetta Fields. Is there something you need to know?”

Both Sorin and Hana exchanged looks, neither really knowing what to say. Or rather, it was how to say it. Relaying their story would be easier said than done. Eventually, Hana was the one to speak. She was no Titania or Minato, but she was better at conversing than Sorin at the very least.

“Well, you know the boy the heart will be donated to, right? Eiichi-kun?” Moira nodded. “Um, he’s started refusing to have the transplant because he’s worried about you. Or, more precisely, your daughter. I understand that your daughter is, most likely, in a critical condition and doing this would make her worse.” She cringed at her own bluntness. “He knows that and he doesn’t want to make all of you lose hope.”

She closed her eyes, bracing to be yelled at when she heard a small chuckle. When she looked, Moira seemed happy. It wasn’t a gleeful laugh, in fact there was some sadness mixed in, but it was still a laugh. At least she wasn’t angry.

“I understand his concern,” she eventually said. “Your parents all awoke from comatose states as well, did they not? But that was because the injuries they suffered weren’t real. For Violetta, everything that happened was real. She was supposed to die a month ago, you know.”

Sorin flexed his fingers. “What from? I-If you don’t mind me asking.”

Moira shook her head. “I don’t mind at all. It was a problem with her brain that she was diagnosed with when she was thirteen, but we found out too late. That’s probably why I’m so calm. I’ve had a long time to prepare for this. All of her other organs are healthy, though, and she asked me before she was put on life support and she entered her coma to make sure all of her normal organs were donated.”

Hana couldn’t look Moira in the eye anymore. Even if there was no controlling it, she still felt bad that Violetta had reached this stage. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Moira’s smile was kind and motherly. “In any case, your friend has nothing to worry about. If you want, I could write him a letter? Tell him what Violetta wanted.”

Hana brightened, even if it was only a little. “You would do that? That would be amazing.”

Sorin hummed in agreement then said, “If you could, could you also explain that it has nothing to do with him being connected to my family? He thinks that the transplant is only coming so quickly because of my mother and her connections. He doesn’t want another person to wait for a new heart because of him.”

Moira nodded as she walked towards her cottage. “Of course. This Eiichi-kun of yours seems like a wonderful boy.”

Her tone was casual, a mere observation, but her words made Hana want to cry. Eiichi was one of – if not the – nicest people she had ever met. It was true that she hadn’t met many people in her life compared to others her age, but she was confident that no one could beat him. He constantly put others before himself, caring about them and making sure they’re alright, helping them with anything and everything. He was the tension cutter, the one who knew how to calm an entire island of children and adults down with a few simple words.

They wouldn’t be able to survive without him. They didn’t want to.

Moira returned within ten minutes, a small envelope in her hands. It was beautifully designed, floral patterns decorating the corners, a wax seal topping it all off. There was no name on it, but that wouldn’t matter once they gave it to Eiichi.

“I wasn’t sure how to spell his name, I’m afraid,” Moira said as she handed Hana the letter. “I can speak Japanese fine, as I am right now, but spelling has never been my forte. Even in English and French I struggled. I hope that’s okay.”

Hana smiled softly and bowed again. “That’s perfectly fine, Moira-san. We know it’s for him.”

Moira went back inside as Sorin and Hana turned around. As they started to walk, Sorin tried to snatch the letter away, but Hana held it close to her body.

“And just what do you think you’re doing?” she asked.

“I want to read it,” he said, trying again.

She avoided him, almost dropping the letter into the pond. “No! You’re not touching this. No one but Eiichi-kun is allowed to read this unless he wants us to know what’s on it. Besides, it has a wax seal on it. If you open it Eiichi-kun will know.”

“Fine,” Sorin said. He sounded like a whiny child. “You’re a very mean girlfriend, you know that?”

At the word ‘girlfriend’, she almost ran into the castle wall, but she managed to stop herself in time. “Hold up a second there. What did you just say?”

Sorin seemed to stop and play his words over in his head before turning red. “Shit. I got a bit ahead of myself there. You can ignore that.”

If he hadn’t reacted the way he had, she wouldn’t have gathered the courage to say, “And if I don’t want to ignore it? What then?”

He understood what she was saying, continuing to walk as he responded with his usual smirk on his face. His cheeks were still red, though. “Then that would be fine with me. Technically, you don’t really have to ask. You always do what you want to, anyway.”

She couldn’t deny that. “Alright, then I won’t ignore it. I’m going to remember it. I don’t have any objections to it, so it’s fine. Say it all you want.”

“All I want?” he repeated, raising a brow. “Are you sure about that.”

Her imagination switched on and she imagined the consequences of saying something like that in front of her father, Titania, or even Karin. She would die of embarrassment. She could feel her face heat up and she made sure she didn’t look at him as she cleared her throat.

“Okay, okay, maybe not _all_ you want.”

He started to laugh and she glared at him, pretending to give him the silent treatment all the way up to Eiichi’s room. He was stubborn and let her continue until they got closer to the door and broke the charade. There were more important things than their usual arguments.

“Should we go in?” he asked.

Hana rose a finger, signalling for him to wait. It was muffled, but she was sure she could hear voices coming from inside Eiichi’s room. She tip-toed to the door and pressed her ear against it. The voices were quiet, but they were definitely there, so she strained to hear them.

“But all of us care. You can’t just leave us like this.”

It was Ryouma. Natsuhi and Karin must have failed.

“It’s not about that.” Even with Ryouma’s emotional state, Eiichi was able to remain calm. “It’s about the other family in question as well. There’s a chance that the donor will wake up. If I take their heart, then they stand no chance at all. I can’t do that to someone else’s family.”

“Would you stop being so fucking selfless just this once?!” Ryouma’s voice was cracked and raw, and Hana realised this was the second time she was eavesdropping on a conversation of theirs. “You’re always so focused on others and what they need and now look where it’s got you! You’re going to die pretending to be all noble and stuff, but you’re not!”

“Ryouma –”

“Shut up!” Hana didn’t need to lean against the door to hear them anymore. “By doing this you’re destroying the hearts of everyone you’ve grown up with! Ayuta-kun, your parents, my parents, my siblings, our aunts, our uncles, our friends! How many of them are there?! Do you think we can just move past this? We fucking can’t! When someone dies, everyone around them is affected.”

Eiichi’s voice then took on a tone unfamiliar. “Ayuta already told me the same thing. If he couldn’t convince me, do you really think you could? Mum couldn’t convince me, dad couldn’t convince me, Aunt Mikan couldn’t convince me, even Titania-chan and Hana-chan couldn’t convince me. Why should I listen to you?”

Hana wanted to burst into the room, say that this wasn’t like Eiichi at all, but Ryouma beat her to it. “What’s with you? Didn’t you say that you could never hate me? What – fine, whatever, hate me all you want, I don’t care.”

Hearing the footsteps outside, Hana backed away so she was next to Sorin again as Ryouma threw the door open. He didn’t acknowledge them, running past them to the staircase. He didn’t bother shutting the door behind him, so the two were left staring into the room where Eiichi was, looking back at them. He looked like he was about to cry, but he was trying his hardest to frown.

“You heard that, right?” he said. His voice was shaking. “It goes for the rest of you. I’m not going to listen to you, so just… Just go away.”

Hana still didn’t know what to say, but Sorin did. “Eiichi-kun, knock it off.”

“Huh?”

Sorin walked inside and sat on the bed, gesturing for Hana to follow. She did, shutting the door as he spoke again. “You’re trying to soften the blow of your death by being mean to him, right? If he hates you, then he won’t mourn you. That’s what you’re thinking, right?”

Eiichi remained silent. That was all the answer they needed, but Hana couldn’t help but ask, “Is that true, Eiichi-kun? Is that what you’re trying to do?” She didn’t want to believe it.”

A tear slipped from Eiichi’s eye. “And so what if it is? It’s better for everyone.”

“No, no it’s not,” Sorin said. His voice was reminiscent of an older brother. “You can try to push him and the rest of us away all you want, but it’s not going to work. We know you. You know us. You should know that we’ll never abandon you and that we’re always going to give a shit no matter what you try and do.”

Another tear. “I’m not changing my mind.”

Sorin looked at Hana, then at the envelope in her hands. She took the hint. “Eiichi-kun, I think you should read this.”

Eiichi rubbed his eyes with the back of his arm before taking the letter. “What is it?”

“Just read it and see,” Hana urged, trying to keep her excitement at bay.

Giving her one last weird look, Eiichi carefully opened the seal. Even with inanimate objects he was gentle. He slowly slipped the piece of paper out and began to read. He frowned at first, but then his expression changed from confusion to surprise. His grip on the page loosened as he reached the bottom and set it beside him.

“You guys went and talked to them?” he asked.

Sorin nodded. “We wanted you to know the truth. Everyone wants you to live. Even Violetta.”

Eiichi’s eyes darted between them and the letter, chewing his lip between his teeth. Hana could hardly wait. The anticipation was killing her. She was desperate to know how he was going to answer. They all needed him to live.

He sighed and closed his eyes. “Alright. I’ll take the transplant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is the last one, guys! It's the epilogue! And it'll be a bit... _different._ It'll be good, though. I hope.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> EPILOGUE TIME.

_I hope you’re doing well. We certainly are. I’m sure you’ve heard about our trip to Novoselic by this point and everything that happened there. Well, the good news is that Eiichi-kun is recovering well and he’ll be able to run around like normal in no time. Ayuta-kun and Ryouma-kun are especially happy about that, of course._

_Do you remember all those times you teased me about Sorin and I told you that you were being ridiculous and delusional? Well, I have to apologize for that. Turns out you were right. We’re a thing now, I guess? I mean, there’s no guessing about it, but it’s still so embarrassing to say, even on paper._

_As for everyone else, I’m pretty sure Novoselic has become the city of love for them. Natsuhi-chan and Karin have their thing. Karin’s pretty loud about it and Natsuhi-chan is slowly growing more comfortable. It’s really cute! Titania-chan and Minato-kun are still as secretive as always, but they accepted the makangos that Aunt Sonia gave to them, so they seem to be okay with marrying each other at least, even if they’re not officially together. I’m not too sure about Ryouma-kun and Eiichi-kun either – oh, yeah, that’s a thing. The two of them keep sneaking off to who-knows-where, but their parents don’t really mind._

_Claudia-chan is as crazy as always, but you can tell that she’s really relieved that Eiichi-kun is better. Ayuta-kun as well, naturally. He’s happy now that his brother no longer has a handicap. Yuzuru-kun and Seiya-chan are the same as always, though it’s very possible they might attend school in your city. Claudia-chan and the twins as well, now that I think about it, since they’ll be in high school in April._

_But that’s enough about me. How have you been? I hope to hear from you soon._

_From,  
Souda Hana_

Naegi Sayami didn’t put the letter down as she turned and yelled, “Hey! Ikuna! You owe me five thousand yen!”

From down the hallway, Sayami could hear her younger sister fling herself out of her room. Naegi Ikuna soon appeared in the doorway, a frown on her face. It was a normal look for her, so Sayami wasn’t bothered by it.

“What do you mean I owe you five thousand yen?” she asked, crossing her arms. “I paid you back for those cream puffs the other day!”

Sayami giggled and waved the letter around. “This is much, _much_ better than cream puffs. Guess who got together while in Novoselic?”

Ikuna’s eyes widened and she lunged for the letter, snatching it from her sister’s hand. “Hana-chan and Sorin-kun? No way! Wait…” She scanned the next paragraph. “ _And_ Karin-chan and Natsuhi-chan? Aha! I told you Ryouma-kun like Eiichi-kun.”

Sayami watched Ikuna with a smirk on her face. The latter was mostly difficult to deal with, always stand-offish at school and even around the house, but she was a sucker for gossip, especially when people were guessing about others’ relationships. It was those detective genes kicking in, she was sure.

“So, five thousand yen?” Sayumi offered her hand. “I won the bet.”

Ikuna rolled her eyes and dug into her pocket, taking out her wallet and rummaging through it. “I’m only giving you three thousand. I was right about Ryouma-kun and Eiichi-kun, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sayumi said as she took the money and shoved it in her pocket. “But I was totally right about Hana-chan and Sorin-kun!” She stood on her desk chair and raised her arms. “I am the prediction queen!”

A muffled voice drifted from downstairs. “What are you girls doing up there?”

“Nothing, dad!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was the end, my friends.
> 
> ALRIGHT. SO. What I'm planning to do next is have a drabble series based around these guys and their parents. It won't be updated super frequently, since I plan on working on something else: my fangan ronpa story!
> 
> I have all my characters for it, but it will still take a while to properly plan it, so I'll be working on that for a bit before I post it. That will take longer to update as well, since a lot more thought goes into it and I still haven't figured out what I want to do for the format. Should I write it normally or do the popular script format that's going around lately? I'd really like your opinion!


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